Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2014 


https://archive.org/details/historyofsingerbOOsems 


A  HISTORY  OF 

E  SINGER  BUILDING 

CONSTRUCTION 

ITS  PROGRESS  FROM  FOUNDATION  TO 

FLAG  POLE 


NEW  YORK  •  1908 


Copyright,  1908,  by 
SHUMWAY    &    BE  ATT  IE 
Singer  Building,  New  York,  N.  Y. 


THE  TROW  PRESS 


NEW  YORK 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGE  PAGE 

Architect  arid  Engineers   6       Plastering   68 

Introductory   7       Painting  and  Decorating  70-72 

Architectural  Conception   9       Hardware      v   73 

General  Description   10       Office  Furniture   74 

Building  Foundation   12       Electric  Clock  System                                               .      .      .  75 

Structural  and  Ornamental  Iron  and  Steel   20       Metal  Trim  76-78 

Ornamental  Iron  Work   33  Safety  Device  for  Window  Cleaners        .      .      .             .      .  78 

Masonry   35       Mechanical  Plant — -Introductory   80 

Fireproofing   35  Plans  of  Boiler  Room  and  Mechanical  Plant        .      .        84, 85 

Face  Brick  •     .  35             Boilers   86 

Bluestone                   .  ,   35             Dumping  Grates   88 

Brick  Masonry   36              Balanced  Draft  System   89 

Cut  Stone  Work   38              Smoke  Breeching  and  Duct   90 

Architectural  Terra  Cotta   39             Vacuum  Cleaner  System   91 

Scaffolding   39              Hot  Water  for  Domestic  Purposes    92 

Carpentry   40              Feed- Water  Heater   93 

Exterior  Sheet  Metal  Work             <   41              Insulation   94 

Steel  Sash   42              Steam  Engines   95 

Cement  and  Concrete  Work                                            .      .44             Valve  Installation        .      .      .   96 

Portland  Cement   44             Steam  Separators   98 

Plastering  Cement   45             Refrigerating  Plant   99 

Concrete  :      .  45  Electrical  Installation  ....             ....  100-105 

Glazing   45       Electrical  Measuring  Instruments   106 

Elevator  Equipment   46       Rubber  Products   100 

Ornamental  Bronze  and  Marble  Work   52       Oil  Filtration   107 

Tile  Work   54       Oiling  System   108 

Plumbing  56-61       Lubricating  Oils   109 

Plumbing  Fixtures   62       Steam  Packing   109 

Heating                                                                            63-66       Water  Filters   110 

Lighting  Fixtures   66  Removal  of  Old  and  Setting  of  New  Machinery  .      .      .      .  Ill 

Flooring   67       Safe-Deposit  Vaults   112 

Modeling   67       Floor  Plans  of  the  Building  114-117 


VIEW  OF  NEW  YORK  FROM  THE  NORTH  RIVER,  1679 

From  an  old  print 


This  is  the  first  actual  view  of  New  York  from  the  North  River.  It  was  made  in  1079,  and  the  original  drawing  is  in  the  possession  of  the  Long  Island 
Historical  Society.  The  wagon  at  the  left  is  going  down  the  original  Maiden  Lane.  The  house  and  lot  on  the  corner,  belonging  to  John  Haberding,  was  sold  in 
1722  for  $600. 

Upon  the  rural  acres  shown  above  the  commercial  interests  of  ninety  millions  of  people  are  now  centered.  To  accommodate  these  interests  the  ground  is 
covered  with  steel  fireproof  buildings  of  vast  area,  gained  by  erecting  them  from  16  to  47  stories  in  height.  At  the  point  indicated  by  a  cross  stands  the  Singer 
Building,  the  highest  office  building  in  the  world. 

Built  and  owned  bv  THE  SINGER  MANUFACTURING  COMPANY,  whose  offices  occupy  all  of  the  Tower  above  the  31st  floor. 


VIEW  OF  NEW  YORK  FROM  THE  NORTH  RIVER,  1907 


J 

ST.  PETER'S,  ROME,  4.00  FT.                                  PHILADELPHIA  CITY  HALL,  537  FT.                                                     PYRAMID,  EGYPT,  485  FT.                                                                   CATHEDRAL,  SALISBURY,  400  FT. 
CATHEDRAL.  ROUEN,  FRANCE,  490  FT.                                       PARK  ROW  BUILDING,  N.  Y.,  382  FT.                                            WASHINGTON  MONUMENT,  555  FT.                                                     ST.  ISAAC'S,  ST.  PETERSBURG,  365  FT. 
MADISON  SQ.  GARDEN,  N.  Y.  C,  305  FT.                                                                                                                    CIM/-r-r7>Dlliif-\iM/~                                                                 ST-  STEPHEN'S,  VIENNA.  4.50  FT. 

51  IN  G  E  H    BUILDING                       cathedral,  cologne,  51 6  ft. 
THE  SINGER   MANUFACTURING  COMPANY        st.  sophia,  Constantinople,  200  ft. 

HO.  149  BROADWAY,  COR.  LIBERTY  STREET.  NEW  YORK  ClT",  NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A. 
THE  GIRALDA,  SEVILLE,  350  FT.                                                                        61  2    FT.      CITY  INVESTING  CO.  BLOG. ,  N.  Y.  C,  400  FT. 
THE  PANTHEON,  ROME,  150  FT.                                                                                           CAMPANILE,  VENICE,  325  FT. 

 K  '                                                      '  1  —  '  11  f   ^ 

a 

ARCHITECT  AND  ENGINEERS 


ARCHITECT. 
Ernest  Flagg. 


DEPARTMENT  OF  DRAUGHTING. 
Geo.  M.  Bartlett,  Superintendent. 

Principal  Assistants. 

Christian  F.  Rossborg. 
Max  Oppenheim. 

W.  R.  C.  BlGLER. 

A.  I.  McGloughlix. 
Albert  Pam. 
Geo.  W.  Con  able. 

W.  C.  Ai'RES. 

Jonathan  Ring. 
Geo.  A.  Delatachk. 


DEPARTMENT   OF  SPECIFICATIONS. 

N.  LORENTZ  MALMROSS. 

J.  R.  Hinchman,  Assistant. 


DEPARTMENT  OF  ENGINEERING. 
O.  F.  Semsch,  Chief  Engineer. 

Assistant  Engineers. 

H.  R.  HOWLAND. 

R.  G.  Rice. 

E.  L.  II.  Hutchinson. 

C.  H.  Nichols. 


DE 1  »A  ItTJ I EXT   OF  CONSTRUCTION. 
Frank  P.  Whiting,  General  Superintendent. 

Assistant  Superintendents. 

E.  A.  Rogers. 
H.  J.  Howell. 
C.  S.  Heney. 
H.  P.  Oram. 
J.  Donovan. 
().  Thomas. 


COX SU LTIX G  EN ( ;  I X  E E RS. 


FOR  STRUCTURAL  WORK. 
Boller  &  Hodge. 


FOR   MECHANICAL  PLANT. 

Chas.  G.  Armstrong. 

O.  E.  Goldschmidt,  Assistant. 


FOR   SAFE-DEPOSIT  VAULTS. 
The  Hollar  Company. 


INSPECTORS. 


FOR  STRUCTURAL  IRON. 
Robt.  W.  Hunt  &  Co. 


FOR  FOUNDATION  CAISSONS. 
T.  Kennard  Thomson. 


INTRODUCTORY 


THK  many  problems  encountered  and  successfully  solved  in  the  designing  and 
construction  of  the  Singer  Building  have  attracted  such  world-wide  attention,  and 
so  many  requests  for  information  concerning  the  building  have  been  received, 
that  the  publication  of  a  history  of  its  conception,  progress  and  completion  was  decided 
upon  to  meet  the  popular  demand  for  a  work  of  this  character. 

The  material  for  this  book  has  been  furnished  by  the  architect,  engineers  and  con- 
tractors who  were  engaged  on  the  work,  and  as  every  detail  has  been  carefully  checked  and 
verified,  the  information  given  may  be  relied  upon  as  being  correct. 

The  narrative  follows  the  architect  and  contractors  through  each  successive  step  of 
planning  and  construction  to  the  time  when  the  new  structure  was  finished  and  ready 
for  occupancy.  Unusual  interest  has  been  aroused  by  the  Singer  Building,  not  alone  by 
its  height,  but  because  the  Tower  idea  is  an  entirely  new  type  of  office  building  construction. 
While  the  completed  building  is  a  monument  to  the  genius  of  the  architect  who  conceived 
the  plans,  and  the  skill  of  the  artisans  who  conceived  and  executed  them,  yet  back  of  these 
stands  the  Singer  Company,  whose  initiative  and  business  acumen  made  it  possible  for  the 
architect  to  put  his  plans  into  material  form. 

Located  in  the  heart  of  the  financial  and  wholesale  districts  of  the  city,  at  a  point  almost 
THE  LOCATION    eclua^  distant  from  the  upper  end  of  Manhattan  and  the  lower  end  of 
Queens  Borough,  and  in  close  proximity  to  subway  and  elevated  stations, 
as  well  as  to  many  lines  of  surface  cars,  the  Singer  Building  is  readily  accessible  from  every 
part  of  the  Greater  City. 

In  the  equipment  of  the  building  no  expense  was  spared  in  providing  every  approved 
modern  device  for  the  comfort,  convenience  and  safety  of  tenants.  The  Tower  rises  high 
above  neighboring  buildings,  and  is  set  well  back  from  the  street  line.  Thus  offices  on 
the  thirty-three  floors  above  the  fourteen-story  basic  structure  are  remarkably  free  from 
the  noise  and  dust  arising  from  street  traffic. 

Tenants  of  the  upper  floors  have  the  advantage  of  a  most  magnificent  view,  unimpeded 
by  the  walls  of  adjoining  buildings.  The  Hudson,  the  East  and  the  North  Rivers,  con- 
stituting the  magnificent  harbor  of  New  York,  flow  only  a  few  blocks  away,  affording  an 
ever-changing  panoramic  view,  while  the  Jersey  Coast,  Long  Island,  Staten  Island,  Governors 
Island,  the  Statue  of  Liberty,  and  many  other  places  and  objects  of  interest  are  distinctly 
visible. 

Tenants  of  the  Singer  Building,  in  addition  to  the  unusual  advantages  afforded  from 
a  business  and  sanitary  standpoint,  enjoy  the  distinction  of  having  offices  in  a  building  which 
has  an  international  reputation  and  which  is  the  most  widely  known  office  structure  in  the 
world. 


THE  SINGER  BUILDING 
BROADWAY  AND  LIBERTY  STREET,  NEW  YORK 
47  STORIES  612  FEET  HIGH 


ARCHITECTURAL  CONCEPTION 


EARING  its  graceful  out- 
lines high  above  the  sur- 
rounding buildings,  many  of 
which  were  considered  only  a 
few  years  ago  to  be  marvels 
of  the  designer's  skill,  the 
Tower  of  the  Singer  Building, 
at  the  corner  of  Broadway 
and  Liberty  Street,  has  be- 
come as  distinctive  a  feature  of  the  sky  line  of  New 
York  as  the  Egyptian  pyramids  are  of  the  Valley  of 
the  River  Nile. 

While  the  construction  of  the  entire  building, 
from  bed  rock  to  flag  pole,  presented  problems  that 
taxed  the  ingenuity  of  the  architect  and  engineer, 
still  it  is  the  Tower  that  realized  the  dream  of  the  de- 
signer, completely  revolutionized  the  prevailing  archi- 
tecture of  such  buildings,  and  gave  to  the  Singer 
Building  its  world-wide  fame. 

The  architect,  Mr.  Ernest  Flagg,  must  be  thor- 
oughly imbued  and  governed  by  the  thought  that  "  a 
thing  of  beauty  is  a  joy  forever,"  for  certainly  a  more 
artistic  conception  than  this  Tower  would  be  hard 
to  conceive,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  an  equally  magnifi- 
cent tower  will  ever  be  built  unless  it  is  a  literal  copy 
of  the  Singer  Building. 

In  the  financial  district  of  Manhattan  lying  below 
the  City  Hall,  the  available  building  space  is  so  much 
restricted  and  the  demand  for  office  room  is  so  great 
that  land  values  have  reached  a  phenomenally  high 
figure.  Consequently,  to  obtain  a  fair  return  on 
investments  there  has  been  a  constantly  increasing 
tendency  to  build  in  the  air  what  there  is  not  space 
for  on  the  ground,  and  while  property  owners  realize 
that  sooner  or  later  some  restriction  will  be  placed  on 
the  height  of  buildings,  the  trouble  is  to  get  a  re- 
striction that  will  not  destroy  the  value  of  land  in 
lower  New  York. 


New  York  is  essentially  a  "City  of  Centers,"  the 
most  prominent  of  which  are  the  Hotel  and  Theat- 
rical Section,  on  Broadway  between  Fourteenth 
and  Forty-fifth  Streets;  the  Dry  Goods  Section,  on 
Sixth  Avenue  between  Fourteenth  and  Thirty-fifth 
Streets;  and  the  Financial  Downtown  Section,  occu 
pying  most  of  that  part  of  Manhattan  Island  below 
Cortlandt  Street.  The  latter  section  is  established 
by  such  controlling  influences  as  the  United  States 
Customs  House  and  Sub-Treasury;  the  Stock  ex- 
changes; the  principal  banks,  the  great  insurance 
corporations;  the  transatlantic  steamship  offices,  the 
Produce,  Cotton  and  Metal  exchanges. 

The  business  man  prefers  his  office  in  a  location 
easy  of  access  to  these  great  centers ;  thus  the  concen- 
tration of  great  office  buildings  is  found  in  that  part 
of  Manhattan  below  the  City  Hall. 

Mr.  Flagg's  solution  of  this  problem  is  to  allow 
the  building  to  cover  the  whole  area  of  the  lot  for 
a  height  of  say  100  feet,  and  above  that  to  restrict 
the  area  covered  by  the  building  to  about  25  per 
cent  of  the  area  of  the  lot — the  height  being  left  to 
economical  consideration.  In  other  words,  Mr. 
Flagg  would  have  New  York  a  veritable  city  of  tow- 
ers, and  if  the  towers  were  up  to  his  standard  of 
beauty  the  result  would  be  marvelous. 

His  contention  is,  of  course,  that  such  construc- 
tion will  allow  concentration  with  the  least  inter- 
ference with  light  and  air  of  one's  own  and  the  ad- 
joining property. 

It  might  be  recalled  here  that  while  our  laws  have 
not  yet  forbidden  the  erection  of  a  building  that 
cuts  off  the  air  and  light  of  the  neighboring  property, 
in  England  they  go  to  the  other  extreme,  so  that  if 
one  has  enjoyed  a  certain  view  from  his  windows 
for  a  number  of  years  his  neighbors  are  not  al- 
lowed to  put  up  any  building  that  will  obstruct  such 


view. 


[9] 


GENERAL  DESCRIPTION 


THE  SINGER  BUILDING  L897-1906 

IN  the  Spring  of  1906  the  Singer  B uil< lings  con- 
sisted of  the  Singer  Building  proper,  a  ten-story 
structure,  located  on  the  northwest  corner  of 
Broadway  and  Liberty  Street,  with  a  frontage  of 
58  feet  on  Broadway  and  110  feet  on  Liberty  Street; 
and  of  the  Bourne  Building,  a  fourteen-story  structure, 
adjoining  the  Singer  Building  on  the  west,  with  a 
frontage  of  74  feet  10^  inches  on  Liberty  Street. 
These  two  buildings  were  erected  about  ten  years 
ago,  from  plans  by  Mr.  Ernest  Flagg. 

At  various  times  before  1906  the  Singer  Com- 
pany purchased  52  feet,  10^  inches  on  Liberty  Street, 
adjoining  the  Bourne  Building  on  the  west,  and  74 
feet  10^  inches  on  Broadway,  adjoining  the  Singer 
Building  on  the  north. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1905  the  Company  commis- 
sioned Mr.  Flagg  to  prepare  plans  for  a  fourteen- 
story  structure  to  adjoin  the  Bourne  Building  on  the 

[ 


west.  This  new  building  was  called  the  "Bourne 
Building  Addition"  and  will  be  so  designated  through- 
out the  description. 

About  the  same  time  the  project  of  extending 
the  front  of  the  original  Singer  Building  northward 
on  Broadway  and  erecting  a  tower  of  some  forty 
odd  stories,  30  feet  back  of  this  front,  was  accepted 
by  the  Singer  Company,  and  the  plans  for  this  part 
of  the  building,  henceforth  called  the  "Singer  Build- 
ing Addition,"  or  the  "Tower,"  were  begun. 

To  unite  these  four  buildings  into  one  structure  it 
w  as  necessary  to  alter  the  original  Singer  and  Bourne 
Buildings  internally  and  to  carry  connecting  corridors 
from  the  Singer  Tower,  located  on  Broadway,  at  one 
(Mid  of  the  group,  through  the  old  buildings  to  the 
Bourne  Building  Addition  at  the  other  end  of  the 
group  on  Liberty  Street.  Moreover,  the  old  Bourne 
Building  had  only  three  comparatively  small  elevators. 
It  was  decided  to  change  these  to  four  larger  eleva- 
tors, capable  of  serving  not  only  the  old  building, 
but  also  the  Bourne  Building  Addition.  This  work 
was  called  the  "  Bourne  Building  Alteration." 

After  the  scheme  had  progressed  thus  far,  the 
Singer  Company  realized  that  access  to  the  upper 
four  stories  of  both  the  Bourne  Building  and  the 
Bourne  Building  Addition,  from  the  corresponding 
stories  in  the  Singer  Tower,  would  be  very  difficult 
because  of  the  gap  caused  in  the  group  by  the  lower 
height  of  the  old  Singer  Building.  The  Company 
therefore  caused  an  examination  to  be  made  into  the 
feasibility  of  increasing  the  height  of  the  old  building 
by  adding  four  stories. 

Accordingly,  the  architect's  engineer,  Mr.  O.  F. 
Semsch,  reported  a  plan  for  reenforcing  the  building 
through  the  installation  of  additional  column  lines 
and  footings,  which  was  adopted.  This  work  of 
raising  the  old  Singer  Building  to  a  height  uniform 
with  that  of  the  Bourne  and  Bourne  Addition  was 
known  as  the  "Singer  Building  Extension." 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  improvements  really 
comprised  four  distinct  operations,  all  carried  on  at 
practically  the  same  time,  although  the  work  on  the 
Bourne  Building  Addition  was  begun  first. 

A  fact  worthy  of  note  is  that  the  work  was  not 
let  to  a  general  contractor,  but  the  various  branches 
were  separately  contracted  for  by  the  owners,  under 
the  immediate  supervision  and  direct  control  of  the 
architect.  This  arrangement  assured  greater  com- 
petition in  the  taking  of  estimates,  and  permitted  the 

10  J 


THE  TOWER  FOUNDATION   SEPT.  10,  1  <)<)<> 


exercise  of  greater  discretion  in  the  selection  of  the 
various  subcontractors,  than  would  have  been  pos- 
sible under  a  general  contract.  It  thus  resulted  in 
obtaining  the  best  possible  workmanship  and  material 
throughout.  There  were  more  than  one  hundred 
different  contracts. 

The  plans  for  the  Bourne  Building  Addition  were 
filed  with  the  Municipal  Bureau  of  Buildings  on 
April  19,  1906,  and  approved  one  month  later. 
After  the  estimates  had  been  taken,  various  contracts 
let  and  the  old  buildings  demolished,  the  architect's 
superintendent  took  possession  of  the  site  on  June 
16,  1906,  began  excavating  on  the  22d,  started  the 
reenforced  concrete  foundation  on  July  16th,  and 
the  structural  iron  work  on  Aug.  7,  1906. 

The  plans  for  the  Tower  were  filed  June  29th  and 
passed  Sept.  12,  1906. 

On  Sept.  19,  1906,  work  was  begun  by  running 
a  steamline  from  the  old  building,  for  operating  the 
air  compressor  to  be  used  in  connection  with  the 
sinking  of  the  foundation  caissons.  On  the  same 
day  the  derricks  and  hoisting  machines  were  set  up 
and  the  needling  of  the  adjoining  building  begun. 

On  Sept.  24th  the  excavations  were  started;  on 
Oct.  1st  the  material  for  the  first  caisson  delivered, 
and  on  Oct.  25th  concreting;  was  begun  in  the  first 


caisson,  after  it  had  landed  at  the  level,  84  feet,  4 
inches  below  the  curb. 

The  steel  work  was  started  on  November  20,  1906, 
by  setting  the  grillage  for  columns  31  and  3£. 

The  plans  for  the  Singer  Extension  were  filed 
Dec.  26,  1906,  and  those  for  the  Bourne  Building 
Alteration,  March  27,  1907. 

The  last  foundation  caisson  for  the  Tower  was 
landed  Feb.  18,  1907,  at  level  87  feet,  7  inches 
below  the  curb. 

From  that  time  on  the  operations  proceeded  with- 
out interruption,  there  being  often  over  1,200  men 
employed  daily.  The  building  was  practically  com- 
pleted on  May  1,  1908,  or  only  one  year  and  eight 
months  after  the  start. 

Compare  this  with  the  time  it  took  to  erect  the 
Cologne  Cathedral,  the  twin  towers  of  which  are 
surpassed  by  the  Singer  Building  in  height.  The 
Cathedral  was  begun  in  1248  and  finished  641  years 
later— in  1889. 

A  comparison  might  also  be  made  with  the  great 
pyramid  of  Cheops,  on  which  100,000  men  were  em- 
ployed for  30  years,  which  would  be  equivalent  to 
3,000,000  men  working  every  day  for  one  year — as 
against  1,200  men  employed  every  day  for  one  year 
and  eight  months  on  the  Singer  Building. 


[  11  J 


612  frel  Above  CMffa 
600  (ect  above  curb 


465  leri  above  tuib 


585  feel  above  cufb 


THE  BUILDING  FOUNDATION 

670  fed  above 

BEFORE  beginning  construction  of  the  foundations,  in  order 
that  the  engineers  might  know  the  exact  condition  of  the 
soil  underneath  the  site  of  the  building,  "test  borings"  were 
made  by  Messrs.  Phillips  and  Worthington  in  four  places,  going 
from  80  to  100  feet  below  the  Broadway  curb,  not  only  to  the 
rock  but  several  feet  into  it.  Diamond  drills  were  employed  to 
~  ~~  remove  the  cores  which  were  brought  to  the  sur- 
face  for  inspection,  which  was  necessary  to  prove 
that  the  borings  had  not  stopped  on  a  huge  boulder  deposited  by 
the  glacial  drift  in  past  ages.  These  rounded  boulders,  which 
abound  in  the  hard  pan,  are  generally  of  a  very  much  harder  stone 
than  the  bed  rock,  which  is  characterized  as  New  York  gneiss  or 
micaceous  schist. 

Roughly  speaking,  from  the  surface  to  about  70  feet  below  the 
Broadway  curb  the  borings  indicated  what  is  known  as  New  York 
quicksand,  a  material  so  fine  that  it  will  readily  flow  wherever 
water  will,  and  while  it  will  safely  carry  a  considerable  load,  if 
confined  in  such  a  way  that  it  cannot  leak  out,  it  is,  of  course,  a 
very  dangerous  material  to  build  on  where  there  is  any  chance  of 
such  a  leak. 

Future  cross-town  tunnels  will  undoubtedly  undermine  many 
buildings  so  founded  in  lower  New  York.  Underneath  the  quick- 
sand and  above  the  rock  was  found  from  20  to  30  feet  of  hard 
pan  and  boulders,  both  of  glacial  deposit. 

In  some  places  this  hard  pan  was  almost  as  compact  as  good 
concrete  and  in  others  it  verged  into  mere  sand  or  sand  and 
boulders.  In  fact,  it  was  so  irregular  that  not  only  was  the  material 
found  in  one  caisson  no  criterion  for  what  might  be  expected  in 
the  adjoining  caisson,  but  even  what  was  found  in  one  end  of  a 
caisson  differed  entirely  from  that  in  the  other  end. 

Though  the  original  portions  of  the  building  are  carried  on  a 
grillage,  or  spread  footing  foundation,  24  feet  below  the  sidewalk, 
and  the  first  intention  was  to  build  the  Tower  on  foundations  of  a 
similar  character,  the  engineers,  in  view  of  possible  subway  con- 
struction in  the  vicinity,  decided  to  adopt  the  pneumatic  caisson 
type  of  foundation  carried  to  bed  rock,  which  is  here  about  90  feet 
below  the  sidewalk  level.  Competitive  bids  were  taken  and  the 
work  was  let  to  The  Foundation  Company,  which  started  work  on 
Aug.  28,  1906,  and  by  working  continuously  night  and  day  handed 
over  the  completed  foundation  March  1,  1907.  In  view  of  the  spe- 
cial difficulties  encountered  this  was  a  very  creditable  achievement. 

The  first  difficulty  which  presented  itself,  and  possibly  the  one 
requiring  the  greatest  ingenuity  to  overcome,  was  the  great  area 
CONSTRUCTION  covered  by  the  30  caissons  compared  with  the  total 
h a  imdppppi  rv  area  °^  *ne  su"e'  wni°n  restricted  the  space  remain- 
LACK  OF  SPACF    m^  hoisting  frames,  tackle,  run-ways  tor 

the  delivery  of  material  and  removal  of  waste,  the 
compressors  and  other  machinery  used  in  the  work.  As  the  new 
part  of  the  building,  though  of  considerable  area,  has  a  frontage  of 

[12] 


225  feet  above  curb 


190  ten  above  cuib 


Broadway  curb 


THE  TOWER  FOUNDATION,  OCTOBER  18,  1906 


only  75  feet  on  one  of  the  busiest  thoroughfares  in 
the  world,  through  which  all  material  and  excavated 
soil  had  to  be  handled,  it  will  be  seen  that  even  the 
preliminary  problems  were  ones  not  easy  to  solve. 
No  sooner  were  these  problems  successfully  solved 
than  others  equally  perplexing  presented  themselves. 
Concrete  had  to  be  prepared,  and  the  machines  by 
which  this  is  done  require  much  space  for  their  op- 
eration; the  hoisting  and  delivery  into  the  air  locks 
of  the  caissons  had  to  be  done,  and  the  platforms  and 
framing  so  designed  as  to  admit  this  being  performed 
without  interfering  with  other  work  simultaneously 
in  progress. 

In  addition  to  all  this,  there  was  the  necessity  for 
needling  up  the  walls  of  the  original  Singer  Building, 
a  heavy  and  ornate  structure,  at  that  time  more  than 
150  feet  high.  The  needling  and  mats  for  its  sup- 
port had  to  be  accommodated,  still  further  reducing 
the  available  working  space. 

During  the  progress  of  this  work  a  daring  and 
unusual  feat  in  building  was  successfully  performed. 
It  was  at  first  intended  to  stop  the  caissons  at  hard 
pan,  about  20  feet  above  bed  rock,  but  when  it  was 

[13] 


decided  to  go  to  bed  rock,  one  of  the  caissons  had 
already  been  completed   7  feet  below  the  top  of 

CONTRACTORS     the  *iard  ^an'  *tS  a"  lo°k  and 
™r^.,^  removed  and  the  crib  filled  with 

bXbCU lb 

concrete. 

DARING  PIECE     cou"eie-  ■  . 

OF  WORK  How  to  extend  this  caisson  to 

bed  rock  was  the  question  which 
was  solved  by  tunneling  through  the  intervening 
space  from  the  nearest  caisson,  excavating  the  hard 
pan  and  underlying  stratum  beneath  the  50  feet  of 
caisson  overhanging  and  filling  the  cavity  below  the 
caisson  as  well  as  the  tunnel  with  concrete  taken 
through  the  tunnel  from  the  adjoining  caisson,  which, 
of  course,  required  time  and  care,  for  if  the  entire 
caisson  had  been  undermined  at  one  time  there  might 
have  been  danger  of  the  great  weight  of  the  50  feet 
of  caisson  above  breaking  loose. 

This  feat  was  successfully  accomplished  by 
running  a  small  drift  tunnel,  5  feet  high  by  4 
feet  wide  to  the  farthest  end  of  the  caisson  above 
and  then  excavating  vertically  downward  to  bed 
rock,  15  feet  farther,  one  section  at  a  time  and  filling 
each  section  with  concrete  from  the  bed  rock  up  to 


Rock 


UNDERMINING  ON  K  OF  THE  SINGER  CAISSONS 
(See  preceding  page) 


-tit.  /  //'Off  J>Aoc 


fr///iyc  few. 


Concrete  ^ 


0/7 


^/e  far* 


4=4= 


(lie  caisson  above  before  the  nexl 
section  was  excavated. 

This  is  probably  the  first  time 
that  a  pneumatic  caisson  has  been 
undermined. 

All  of  the  columns  are  seated  on 
rectangular  or  circular  concrete  piers 
with  their  footings  carried  down  by 
wooden  pneumatic  caissons  through 
quicksand  and  hard  pan  to  solid 
rock  about  90  feet  below  the  level 
of  the  Broadway  curb.    The  piers 

were  built  as  shafts  constructed  above  the  surface  of  the  ground  and 
afterwards  sunk  to  bed  rock  by  men  working  in  the  interior  chambers. 

Ten  of  the  piers  were  provided  with  vertical  steel  anchorages  extending 
nearly  to  the  bottom  and  built  into  the  concrete.  These  were  made  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  utilize  the  full  weight  of  the  pier,  estimated  at  1,150,000 
pounds  in  a  maximum  case,  besides  the  very  large  indeterminate  friction 
between  the  sides  of  the  pier  and  the  earth,  which  is  not  counted  on,  to 
resist  the  upward  reaction  of  925,000  pounds. 

The  adhesion  of  the  pier  concrete  to  the  steel  anchor  rods,  assumed  at  50 
pounds  per  square  inch,  was  utilized  in  designing  the  anchorages.  So  secure- 
ly is  the  Tower  anchored  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  exert  a  force  sufficient 
to  pull  the  caissons  out  of  the  ground  before  the  stability  of  the  building  would 
be  endangered,  and  as  the  cutting  edge  of  the  caisson  was  stopped  near  the 
top  of  the  hard  pan  and  the  excavation  then  carried  through  the  hard  pan 
from  20  to  30  feet  to 
rock  and  the  whole 
space  then  filled  with 
the  best  Portland  ce- 
ment concrete,  it  can  be 
realized  that  before  the 
caisson  could  be  lifted 
the  concrete  would  have 
to  be  broken  in  two 
or  else  the  hard  pan 
would  have  to  come  up, 
too.  This  would  prac- 
tically mean  lifting  all 
the  hard  pan  off  of  the 
rock  and  all  the  quick- 
sand and  water  on  top 
of  the  hard  pan — re- 
sults which  could  occur 
only  in  the  wildest 
imagination. 

The  total  weight 
of  the  Singer  Building, 
including  the  TowTer, 
is  figured  in  the  vi- 
cinity  of  105,000,000 

[15] 


TOWER  FOUNDATION,  NOVEMBER  20,  1906 


pounds  and  is  carried  by  54  steel  columns.  This 
enormous  weight  is  carried  down  to  rock,  at  an  aver- 
age depth  of  about  90  feet  below  curb,  by  30  caissons. 
These  are  simply  airtight  bottomless  boxes,  square 
or  cylindrical  in  cross  section,  having  interior  cham- 
bers large  enough  for  a  gang  of  men  to  enter  and 
excavate  the  bottom.  The  excavated  material  passes 
up  through  steel  shafts  in  the  roof.  As  the  caisson 
extends  below  the  waterline,  the  compressed  air  is 
pumped  in  to  expel  the  water  from  the  open  lower 
or  cutting  edge.  As  the  caisson  descends  there  is  a 
greater  pressure  of  air  required,  which  is  supplied 
continuously  to  the  men  through  an  ordinary  pipe 
leading  into  the  working  chamber. 

This  pressure  is  just  sufficient  to  balance  the 
weight  of  the  water  on  the  outside  and  thus  prevent 
the  water  from  rushing  into  the  working  chamber 
and  taking  material  from  under  the  adjoining  build- 
ings and  streets  along  with  it. 

As  water  weighs  about  62  pounds  per  cubic  foot, 


the  pressure  ;it  one  foot  depth  is  .434  pounds  per 
square  inch,  or  a  little  less  than  one-hall*  pound  for 
each  foot  of  depth,  or  44  pounds  per  square  inch 
if  the  water  were  100  feet  deep,  which  is  about  the 
limit  of  human  endurance  and  is  in  addition  to  the 
atmospheric  pressure  of  about  15  pounds  per  square 
inch.  In  the  higher  pressures  the  risk  of  one's  los- 
ing his  life  or  being  paralyzed  for  life  is  very  great. 

The  caisson  is  thus  sunk  by  undermining,  by  shov- 
eling the  material  into  one-half  cubic  yard  buckets, 
aided  by  a  heavy  weight  of  concrete,  which  is  added 
over  the  roof  of  the  caisson  as  the  latter  gradually 
sinks,  and  also  by  additional  pig  iron  blocks,  of  which 
as  much  as  1,200  tons  were  used  on  this  job.  When 
it  has  reached  a  satisfactory  hard  stratum,  which  is 
cleaned  and  leveled,  the  wrhole  interior  of  the  caisson 
and  of  the  shaft  connecting  the  wrorking  chamber 
with  the  outer  air,  is  filled  with  rammed  concrete, 
forming  a  solid  monolith  upon  which  the  superstruc- 
ture is  readily  supported.    To  permit  the  passing  in 

] 


TOWER  FOUNDATION,  DECEMBER  5,  190C 


Air  Lock 


1 


Sketch  Showing 

operation  of 

MoffAM  Air  Lock 
The  Foundation  Company 


NY  City 


Fig.  1 


Fig.  2 


Fig.  3 


and  out  of  a  bucket,  or  of  the  men  from  the  outside 
air  to  the  caisson,  or  vice  versa,  without  excessive 
loss  of  compressed  air,  an  air  lock  or  air  chamber, 
invented  by  Daniel  E.  Moran,  C.E.,  vice  president 
of  The  Foundation  Company,  is  used.  This  air  lock 
surmounts  the  top  of  the  shaft  leading  to  the  working 
chamber,  and  by  its  use  it  is  now  possible  to  sink 
caissons  through  quicksand  and  water,  close  to  ad- 
joining buildings  without  causing  flow  of  material 
from  under  the  latter,  which,  if  allowed  to  occur, 
would  settle  and  crack  them.  This  is  the  invention 
that  has  made  possible  the  construction  of  the  sky- 
scrapers in  Lower  Manhattan.  The  operation  of 
this  air  lock  is  described  as  follows: 

When  a  man  desires  to  enter  the  working  chamber, 
he  first  goes  into  the  air  lock,  closing  the  outside  door 
tightly  behind  him.  Compressed  air  is  then  admitted 
to  the  lock  until  the  pressure  in  it  and  in  the  working 
chamber  is  equalized.  The  door  between  the  latter 
and  the  air  lock  then  opens  by  its  own  weight.  The 
reverse  operation  of  coming  out  is  equally  simple. 
The  man  climbs  up  into  the  air  lock  from  the  working 
chamber,  whereupon  the  lower  door  is  closed  tightly. 
The  valve  is  then  opened,  which  permits  the  gradual 
escape  of  the  compressed  air  from  the  lock,  and  when 

[18 


the  pressure  has  been  reduced  to  that  of  the  out- 
side air,  the  upper  or  outer  door  opens  and  the  man 
steps  out.  The  same  description  applies  to  the  oper- 
ation of  the  bucket,  as  shown  above  in  Figures  L2 
and 

In  the  old  days  of  pneumatic  caisson  work,  before 
the  invention  of  the  Moran  air  lock,  the  material 
was  carried  out  in  bags  of  canvas  by  the  men,  or 
was  blown  out  by  air  pressure  through  a  4-inch  pipe. 
By  means  of  the  recent  improvements  in  this  air  lock 
Mr.  Moran  has  made  it  possible  to  use  a  bucket  of 
half  a  cubic  yard  capacity  almost  as  freely  between 
the  excavation  chamber  and  the  outer  air  as  if  the 
work  were  done  in  the  open. 

In  fact  the  bucket  has  been  taken  in,  filled, 
brought  out,  emptied  and  returned  to  the  air  chamber 
twenty  times  an  hour. 

The  cement  in  the  foundation  was  brought 
to  the  building  in  1.51,515  bags  of  90  pounds  each, 
nn  mtitv  ^  concrete   made   with  this 

^  /-™™-r         cement  were  all   loaded   on  two- 
0F  CEMENT        ,        ,     ,     ..       i ,  i 
yj££D  horse  trucks,  it  would  make  a  con- 

tinuous line  of  10,180  trucks,  38 
miles  long,  or  twuce  the  distance  from  the  Singer 
Building  to  Yonkers. 

] 


STRUCTURAL  AND  ORNAMENTAL  IRON  AND  STEEL 


steel  plant,  complete  rolling  mills  and  a  well-equipped 
bridge  shop. 

The  Singer  Building  Addition  is  of  the  modern 
type  of  fireproof  steel  frame  construction.  The 
main  part  of  the  building  extends  up  to  the  3 4th 
nncrDiDTinM  ^er'  aoove  thi-s  point  the  Tower, 
OF  BUILDING  square,  extends  up  in  an 

almost  unbroken  line  to  the  40th 
tier;  from  this  height  springs  a  segmental  dome 
curving  inwardly  to  the  43d  tier,  where  it  is  finished 
with  a  flat  deck:  from  the  deck  of  the  dome  the 
Tower  narrows  to  12  feet  square,  its  columns  continu- 
ing up  to  the  40th  tier:  from  the  46th  tier  a  lantern, 
9  feet  in  diameter  at  the  base,  extends  above  the 
48th  tier,  making  a  total  height  from  the  curb  of 
612  feet. 

On  the  front  of  the  building  there  is  ;i  two  story 
curved  mansard  roof,  beginning  at  the  14th  tier  and 
curving  inwardly  to  the  Tower  at  the  17th  tier. 

At  the  36th  and  .'57th  tiers  the  floor  extends  out- 
side the  Tower  S.I  feet  on  each  side  and  is  curved 
to  a  radius  of  .'5?  feet,  struck  from  the  center  of  the 
Tower:  the  overhang  is  supported  by  cantilever 
beams  extending  back  into  the  Tower. 

In  the  basement  there  are  .>4  columns;  the  heaviest 
carry  a  maximum  combined  load  of  about  1,000  tons, 
with  ;m  area  of  cross  section  of  about  188  square 
inches  and  weighing  approximately  800  pounds  per 


IN  September,  1906,  the  contract  for  furnishing 
and  erecting  the  structural  steel  was  awarded 
to   Milliken  Brothers,  Inc.,  office  at  No.  11 
Broadway. 

Competition  for  the  contract  was  very  keen,  as 
all  of  the  large  structural  steel  companies  coveted  the 
honor  of  furnishing  and  erecting  the  steel  work  for 
the  greatest  skyscraper  in  the  world. 

It  was  found  after  careful  comparison  that  Milli- 
ken Brothers,  Inc.,  were  better  fitted  to  handle  this 
great  engineering  proposition  than  any  of  their  com- 
petitors, because  of  the  convenient  location  of  their 
immense  works  at  Milliken,  Staten  Island,  N.  Y.,  on 
tidewater.    These  works  comprise  a  large  modern 

[20] 


SETTING  AN  OUTSIDE  TOWER  BEAM 


BEGINNING  OF  TOWER  STEEL  ERECTION,  MARCH  16,  1907 


lineal  foot  with  connections,  etc.  Generally  the 
columns  are  in  two-story  lengths,  although  a  few  of 
the  basement  columns  are  in  four-story  lengths. 

The  corner  columns,  at  the  southeast  front  of  the 
building  above  the  fourth  story,  are  carried  on  a 
double  web  riveted  girder  30  inches  deep  and  18  feet 
long,  carrying  a  load  of  about  250  tons. 

Beginning  at  the  basement,  36  of  the  columns 
spaced  12  feet  from  centers  compose  the  Tower,  the 
four  center  Tower  columns  extend  up  to  the  46th  tier, 
while  the  other  Tower  columns  extend  up  to  the  40th 
tier  from  which  the  dome  springs. 

There  is  a  total  of  850  columns  in  the  building, 
the  heaviest  weighing  about  28  tons.  Above  the 
foundations  and  exclusive  of  the  columns  17,000 
members  were  required  for  the  floors,  bracing  and 
other  parts  of  the  building,  which  will  give  some 
idea  of  the  vast  number  of  drawings  which  were 
required  for  this  building. 

[2 


ADJUSTING  A  COLUMN  SPLICE  500  FEET  ABOVE  STREET 

] 


A  special  feature  of  the  Tower  is  the  system  of 

bracing  employed  to  provide  for  the  wind  stresses. 

WIND  The  kracmg  starts  at  the  39th  tier 

r»r»i^i».n-  ^  and  extends  to  the  foot  of  the  col- 
BRACING  OF  ,   •  ,    *  , 

thwpd  umns,  and  is  composed  ot  heavy 

diagonal  X-braces  connected  to  gus- 
sets on  the  columns  at  the  floor  levels  and  is  de- 
signed to  withstand  a  horizontal  wind  pressure  of 
30  pounds  per  square  foot  of  surface  of  the  entire 
vertical  surface  at  the  building.  The  uplift  due  to 
the  wind  stresses  is  provided  for  by  anchoring  six 
columns  of  the  elevator  shaft  and  four  others,  or  ten 
in  all,  of  the  tower  columns  by  means  of  heavy  pin- 
connected  anchorage  bars  which  extend  down  about 
44  feet  into  the  concrete  piers  and  are  built  in  con- 
crete. The  bars  are  connected  with  the  foot  of  the 
columns  by  3^- inch  and  4^-inch  diameter  rods  which 
connect  with  the  anchorage  bars  by  means  of  a  heavy 
cast  steel  saddle  illustrated  on  page  '■23.  These 
columns  have  a  maximum  calculated  static  load  of 
950,000  pounds  and  a  maximum  uplift  of  540,000 
pounds  each,  due  to  wind  pressure,  which  is  pro- 
vided for  by  a  cross  sectional  area  of  169  square 
inches  of  metal  in  the  basement,  the  section,  of  course, 
decreasing  to  the  top. 

This  wind  bracing  is  further  illustrated  and  de 
scribed  as  follows,  as  taken  from  The  Engineering 
Record  of  May  18,  1907: 

"The  stresses  developed  by  an  assumed  wind 
pressure  of  30  pounds  per  square  foot  on  the  entire 
vertical  surface  of  the  Tower  are  resisted  by  a  system 
of  25  panels  of  X-bracing  between  pairs  of  columns; 
four  of  these  panels  terminate  at  the  14th  floor.  Six 
teen  panels  in  corners  of  Tower  are  continued  to  the 
32d,  and  the  remainder  are  carried  to  the  36th  floor, 
just  below  the  dome  which  surmounts  the  Tower. 


BOLTING  WIND  BRACING  OF  TOWEU 


[ 


AWAITING  DERRICK  LOAD 

The  arrangement  ot*  the  Tower  bracing  is  special  in 
order  to  provide  clearance  for  the  doors  and  windows, 
which  are  located  bet  ween  or  adjacent  to  the  diagonals. 
To  this  end  one  pair  of  X-braces  forms  a  panel  of 
comparatively  short  height  vertically  at  every  alter- 
cate floor  line. 

"The  spaces  between  these  panels  are  filled  with 
X-braces  forming  long  vertical  panels  and  providing 
wide  spaces  between  1 1  it'  diagonals  at  the  upper  and 
lower  ends,  thus  leaving  space  for  a  door  or  window 
between  them,  above  and  below  the  floor  line,  which 
is  intersected  near  the  center  of  the  panel.  Alternate 
stories  thus  have  their  doors  and  windows  located 
first  in  the  upper  and  then  in  the  lower  space  between 
the  diagonals.  In  the  panels  arranged  for  window 
openings  the  horizontal  struts  at  the  ends  of  the 
X-braces  are  located  approximately  symmetrical  on 
both  sides  of  the  floor  line;  in  the  door  panels,  the 
horizontal  struts  are  both  depressed  just  below  the 
floor  line  so  as  to  leave  an  unobstructed  clearance  for 
the  doorway  reaching  down  to  the  floor  level.  No 
knee-braces  are  used  in  the  bracing  system,  all 
diagonal  members  being  full  length  and  provided  at 
their  extremities  with  special  horizontal  struts,  thus 
forming  with  the  columns  complete  vertical  trusses 
extending  for  the  full  height  of  the  columns. 

"In  the  32d,  or  highest  regular  story,  the  horizon- 
tal struts  of  the  wind-brace  system  at  windows  and 
doors  are  made  with  pairs  of  10-in.  15-lb.  channels, 
back  to  back,  and  the  X-braces  are  made  with  single 
4  x  3-in.  x  8^-lb.  angles  for  the  long  panels,  and  with 
3  x  3^-in.  x  6.6-lb.  angles  for  the  short  panels.  In 
the  30th  story  the  long  diagonals  change  to  7-in. 
12^-lb.  channels  and  in  the  28th  story  to  8-in.  13f-lb. 
channels,  in  the  24th  story  to  10-in.  20-lb.  channels, 
in  the  20th  story  to  10-in.  25-lb.  channels,  and  in  the 

22  ] 


FIRST  TIER,  STEEL  ERECTION,  APRIL  5,  1907 


PLAN  OF  WIND  BRACING  IN  TOWER 


BASE  OF  TOWER,  SHOWING  WIND  BRACING  AT  CORNERS,  AUGUST  15,  1907 


SETTING  BALCONY    BEAMS  AND  COLUMNS  AT  33d  FLOOR 


14th  story  10-in.  :5()-lb.  channels,  which  arc  main- 
tained to  the  basemen!  story.  The  short  diagonals 
change  at  the  23d  floor  to  4  x  .'>  x  Sl-lb.  angles,  and 
at  the  lDtli  floor  to  7-in.  5^-lb.  single  channels,  at  the 
12th  floor  to  8-in.  L2f-lb.  channels,  which  continue 
the  same  size  through  the  remaining  stories  to  the 
basement. 

"In  eight  panels  the  wind  braces  terminate  at 
the  2d  floor  and  in  eight  panels  they  are  carried  en- 
tirely independent.  but  at  the  Broadway  front  the 
irregular  location  of  the  piers  led  to  a  special  arrange- 
ment and  to  double  grillage  beams,  as  indicated  in 
the  part  plan.  In  nine  sets  of  bracing  below  the 
12th  floor  all  panels  have  full-length  diagonals  with- 
out special  provision  for  window  or  door  openings. 
In  these  panels  the  horizontal  struts  are  all  pairs  of 
15-in.  33-lb.  channels  and  the  diagonals  are  single 
10-in.  30-lb.  channels.  In  five  panels  the  bracing 
terminates  at  the  basement  floor  where  the  columns 
are  seated  on  the  grillages  and  transmit  the  wind 


stresses  directly  to  the  foundation.  In  three  panels 
the  bracing  is  extended  one  story  lower  to  reach  the 
lower  end  of  the  columns  at  the  pump-room  floor. 

"The  regular  bracing  corresponds  to  the  1st 
story  and  all  members  are  shipped  separately  and 
field-riveted  together  at  the  intersections  of  diago- 
nals and  at  extremities  to  the  connection  plates 
shop-riveted  to  the  column.  As  the  webs  of  the  diago- 
nal channels  are  in  the  same  vertical  plane,  one  of 
them  is  cut  to  clear  the  other  and  is  spliced  across  it 
by  a  web  plate  shop-riveted  to  both  pieces  and  field- 
riveted  to  the  intersecting  channel.  The  portal  brac- 
ing between  columns  in  the  2d  floor  is  of  two  types, 
•  me  having  simple  knee-braces  connected  to  vertical 
web  plates  riveted  between  the  channels  forming  a 
horizontal  stint  and  projecting  below  their  lower 
flanges,  and  the  other  type  having  seinidiagonals  at- 
tached to  the  lower  flanges  of  the  horizontal  struts 
and  braced  at  their  center  points  with  horizontal  and 
diagonal  members." 


[  26  j 


WELCOME  TO  THE  CUNARD  S.S.  "LL'SITANIA,"  SEPTEMBER  13,  1907 


DERRICKS 


MAKING  FAST  A  DKIiHK  k  GUY 


TWO  boom  derricks  were  used  for  setting  the 
steel,  one  of  40  tons'  capacity,  which  was  a 
special  construction  designed  with  a  75  foot 
mast  and  65-foot  boom.  The  mast  and  boom  were 
made  of  round  timber  with  cast  steel  and  forged 
steel  fittings.  The  mast  was  guyed  with  eight  1J- 
inch  steel  guy  ropes;  it  weighed  about  10  tons  and 
was  equipped  with  f-inch  diameter  wire  rope  tackles 
for  the  topping  and  hoisting  lifts,  which  were  rove 
with  from  9  to  3  parts,  diminishing  as  the  work  ad- 
vanced and  the  loads  decreased.  It  required  about 
three  hours  to  raise  this  derrick  up  two  floors  as  the 
work  progressed. 

The  hoisting  tackle  for  the  25-ton  derrick  was 
rove  with  f-inch  steel  wire  rope  about  2,500  feet  long 
and  the  lower  block  had  a  cast  iron  counterweight 
weighing  about  1,500  pounds  to  assist  in  overhauling. 
It  required  about  two  hours  to  raise  this  derrick  up 
two  floors  as  the  work  progressed. 

Chain  slings  wTere  used  for  handling  all  material. 

|  28 


SYSTEM  OF 
OPERATION 


It  was  necessary  to  erect  a  temporary  platform  of 
steel  and  wood  on  the  14th  tier  at  the  front  of  the 
building.  On  this  platform  the  40-ton  derrick  was 
set  and  was  operated  with  a  hoisting  engine  perma- 
nently set  on  the  ground  floor.  The 
25-ton  derrick  was  used  for  setting 
the  steel  work  for  the  Tower;  this 
derrick  was  operated  with  an  engine  set  on  the  17th 
floor  which  was  provided  with  steam  from  the  boiler 
that  supplied  the  air  compressors. 

The  material  was  hoisted  from  the  trucks  by  the 
40-ton  derrick,  landed  on  the  platform,  then  hoisted 
by  the  25-ton  derrick  and  set  in  place  on  the  Tower. 

After  setting  twro  tiers  of  columns  and  beams  the 
derricks  were  raised  to  the  top  floor  and  the  operation 
was  repeated  each  time  after  setting  two  tiers. 

The  40-ton  derrick  hoisted  material  from  the  street 
to  the  platform  in  about  one  minute  and  a  half,  a 
distance  of  about  200  feet.  Material  was  hoisted 
from  the  platform,  about  350  feet,  in  three  minutes. 

] 


SHOWING  RECONSTRUCTION  OF  OLD  SINGER  BUILDING  TO  CORRESPOND  WITH  NEW  PORTION 


TIME  SYSTEM 
OF  WORK 


Immediately  on  receipt  of  the  architect's  plans 
and  specifications,  a  time-table  was  made  up  giving 
the  dates  for  the  completion  of  the 
various  stages  of  the  work.  This 
time-table  covered  all  stages  of  tlie 
work  from  the  making  of  the  drawings  to  the  final 
completion  of  the  steel  work. 

A  large  force  of  skilled  engineers  and  draughts- 
men were  employed  for  several  months  making  the 
working  and  detail  drawings;  a  large  part  of  the 
work  was  very  complicated  and  the  detail  drawings 
had  to  be  executed  with  unusual  care  and  enffineerinc 
skill.  The  accuracy  of  the  drawings  and  the  shoo 
work  was  evidenced  by  the  fact  thai  when  the  \\<  rk 
was  erected  the  various  parts  went  together  perfectly, 
thereby  saving  a  great  deal  of  time  and  expense  in  the 
field,  which  is  a  very  importanl  matter. 

The  f i ist  shipment  of  material  from  the  shops  was 
made  Oct.,  1906,  for  the  column  anchorages,  then 
the  material  was  delivered  for  the  grillages  support- 
ing the  columns  on  the  concrete  piers,  after  which  the 
heavy  cast  steel  bases  were  delivered. 

Unusually  careful  preparations  were  made  for 
the  erection  of  the  framework  for  this  greal  build- 
ing.     Every  tool  and  appliance  nec- 
essary for  the  setting  of  the  work  was 
specially  selected;  the  men  chosen 

to  take  charge  of  the  work  en- 
gaged the  most  competent  and  skilled  housesmiths 
to  be  had,  and  every  precaution  was  taken  at  the 
very  start  so  as  to  carry  on  the  work  of  erection 
in  a  faultless  manner. 

Shipments  were  made  from  the 
works   on    lighters,  two  complete 


SPECIAL 
TOOLS  AND 
APPLIANCES 


DELIVERY  OF 
MATERIAL 


tiers  being  shipped  at  a  time,  and 
the  erection  proceeded  at  the  rate  of  one  tier'every 
two  davs. 


SIGNALING  TO  HOISTING  ENGINE 


TIGHTENING  A  DERRICK  GUY 

At  the  10th  tier  the  heavy  steel  ribs  of  the  dome 
had  to  be  erected.  The  setting  of  these  ribs,  which 
were  in  two  sections,  required  extreme  care  on  ac 
count  of  the  weight  of  the  sections,  the  great  height 
at  which  the  inch  were  working  and  the  complicated 
nature  of  the  construction. 

(ileal  care  was  necessary  to  keep  the  steel  work 
plumb  as  the  work  progressed.  The  plumbing  was 
done  w  ith  plumb  bobs  to  exact  lines,  located  on  each 
floor.  Wire-rope  guys  with  turn-buckles  were  used 
to  pull  the  columns  plumb;  these  guys  were-  left  in 

place  until  the  connections  were  all  riveted.  After 
the  erection  of  the  framework  was  entirely  com- 
pleted the  greatest  variation  in  plumbing  was  found 
to  be  L:  of  an  inch.     This  was  in  a  height  of  575  feet. 

The   field    holes  connecting  the  Tower  bracing 
were  punched  ]  |-inch  diameter  and  reamed  to  J  §--inch 
diameter  in  the  field;  the  reaming 
was  done  with  air  reamers. 

About  237,000  field  rivets  were 
driven  with  12  pneumatic  ham- 
mers, the  air  being  supplied  by  2  compressors  set 
on  the  ground  floor,  and  piped  up  to  the  hammers 
as  the  work  progressed.  As  many  as  1,300  rivets 
were  driven  by  one  gang  in  a  single  day,  which  is 
a  record  for  this  class  of  work.  The  rivets  were 
heated  in  oil  furnaces  supplied  with  pneumatic  blast 
from  the  air  compressors. 

Approximately  7,000  tons  of  steel  work  were  used 
in  the  Milliken  contract  for  their  part  of  the  con- 
struction of  the  building.  A  temporary  electric  pas- 
senger elevator  was  installed  by  mutual  arrangement 
of  the  contractors  engaged  on  the  work  to  take  the 
men  up  and  down  as  the  work  advanced.  By  this 
arrangement  time  and  labor  were  saved  and  the  use 
of  stairs  and  ladders  obviated  in  going  up  and  down 
in  the  building. 


AIR  REAMING 
OF  FIELD 
HOLES 


[  30 


\ 


THE  SINGER  TOWER— STEEL  STRUCTURE  COMPLETE 


LOCAL 

MANUFACTURE 
ENTIRELY 


During  the  erection  of  the  work  hundreds  of 
spectators  daily  lined  the  streets  and  from  every 
PUBLIC  vantage  point  breathlessly  watched 

the  hoisting  of  the  material  from 
INTEREST  IN  .     ,  6    .-T  ,.  f  ,  . 

THE  WORK  trucks  until  it  was  safely  set 

in  place  hundreds  of  feet  above 
the  street,  while  traffic  of  all  kinds  passed  under- 
neath without  interruption. 

The  erectors,  beginning  on  the  ground  floor  and 
gradually  working  upward  to  an  ever-increasing  alti- 
tude, until  they  reached  the  top  of  the  building — (51 2 
feet  above  the  sidewalk — scarcely  noticed  the  change 
and  felt  just  as  secure  at  the  top  as  they  did  when 
they  began  work  on  the  ground  floor. 

A  notable  feature  of  this  work  was.  that  begin- 
ning with  the  raw  materials  which  were  made  into 
steel  in  open-hearth  furnaces,  cast 
into  ingots  and  rolled  into  plates 
and  shapes  in  the  rolling  mills,  then 
transferred  to  the  bridge  shops  and 
there  sheared,  punched,  assembled,  riveted  and  ma- 
chined to  proper  dimensions,  and  finally  were  put  into 
place  in  the  highest  building  in  the  world,  all  the  work 
was  done  in  New  York  City  by  New  York  workmen. 

Not  a  single  important  piece  of  material  was 
dropped  during  the  erection  and  there  was  not  a  single 
fatal  accident.  This  is  unprecedented  in  the  history 
of  steel  construction  and  stands  as  a  record  for  careful 
and  skillful  management. 

The  steel  used  in  the  construction  of  the  Singer 
Building,  if  made  into  a  |-inch  wire  cable,  would 
reach  from  New  York  to  Buenos 
STRUCTURAL      Ayres,  South  America,  about  7. KM) 
STEEL  miles.     The   total    length  of  the 

steel-bearing  columns  in  the  Singer  Building  is  about 
53,220  feet,  or  10  miles. 

The  old  Singer  Building  was  10  stories  high,  and 
in  order  to  increase  the  height  of  the  building  to  the 

level  of  the  Singer  Tower  Building 

ALTERATION       ..  *  , 

^  it  was   necessary  to  run  two  new 

columns  near  the  front  of  the  build- 

ORIGINAL  ,  ,  .  rp, 

ing,  up  from  the  basement.     1  nese 

columns  rest  on  riveted  grillage  gir- 
ders and  extend  up  to  the  11th  tier. 
The  top  of  these  columns  supports  a  cantilever  riveted 
plate  girder,  which,  in  turn,  supports  three  columns 
extending  up  to  the  roof. 

In  the  rear  of  the  building,  three  new  columns 
resting  on  riveted  grillage  girders  extend  up  from 
the  basement,  and  were  specially  designed  to  reen- 
force  old  columns  in  the  building. 


SINGER 
BUILDING 


The  new  columns  were  made  in  two  lengths  for 
each  story  so  as  to  facilitate  the  erection.  Holes  were 
cut  in  the  floors,  through  which  the  columns  passed; 
as  soon  as  a  column  was  set  in  position  under  the 
existing  floor  beams,  the  beams  were  shimmed  up 
with  plates  resting  on  the  top  of  the  columns,  a 
section  of  the  beams  was  then  sawed  through  and 
removed  so  as  to  allow  room  for  setting  the  next  story 
column,  which  passed  through  between  the  ends  of 
the  beams  and  connected  to  the  column  below;  this 
operation  was  repeated  until  the  new  columns  were 
brought  up  to  the  level  of  the  10th  tier  of  the  old 
building.  All  of  this  work  had  to  be  done  at  night 
SO  as  not  to  disturb  the  tenants. 

Six  new  floors  were  put  in  above  the  10th  tier; 
the  curved  mansard  roof  was  continued  along  from 
the  Tower  building.  The  curved  mansard  on  this 
building  was  very  complicated  on  account  of  the 
building  being  somewhat  skewed. 

All  the  new  work  had  to  match  the  connections 
in  the  old  building.  Unusual  time  and  care  were  used 
in  the  preparation  of  the  shop  drawings,  the  result 
being  highly  successful,  the  new  work  connecting  up 
with  the  old  work  without  a  hitch. 

The  erection  of  this  work  called  for  a  great  deal 
of  care  and  precision,  and  the  erection  was  carried 
on  and  completed  in  a  very  quick  and  satisfactory 
manner,  despite  the  unusual  character  of  the  work. 

The  steel  work  for  the  old  building  was  fur- 
nished and  erected  by  the  same  contractors  about 
ten  years  ago. 

In  the  Bourne  Building,  which  adjoins  the  rear 
of  the  Singer   Building,  three  old  elevators  had  to 

be  removed  and  four  new  elevators 

ALTERATION       •    .  „  ,     ,        .     .  r  , 

installed.     In  order  to  accomplish 

OF  BOURNE        ,,  •     ,  ,  '  . 

tins  change,  it  was  necessary  to  put 

BUILDING  ,.   ,  ,  "     •  • 

m  entirely  new  framing,  requiring 

much  additional  framing  in  the  floors  around  the 
elevator  shafts.  In  the  roof  of  this  building  new 
pent  houses  had  to  be  built  over  the  elevator  shafts; 
only  one  shaft  could  be  changed  at  a  time  and  the 
work  had  to  be  carried  on  without  interfering  with 
the  elevator  service.  This  work  required  a  great 
deal  of  cutting  and  fitting  in  the  field  to  alter  the  old 
steel  work. 

In  May.  1907,  Milliken  Brothers,  Inc.,  were 
awarded  the  contract  for  the  ornamental  iron  work 
for  the  Tower  Building,  and  in  Oct.,  1907,  the  con- 
tract for  the  ornamental  iron  work  on  the  old  Singer 
Building  was  also  awarded  them.  A  brief  description 
follows  and  will  prove  of  interest. 


ORNAMENTAL  IRON  WORK 


THE  ornamental  iron  work  was  made  and 
erected  by  the  Whale  Creek  Iron  Works,  as 
subcontractors  under  Milliken  Brothers,  Inc. 
This  ornamental  iron  work  alone  constituted  a  very 
large  contract,  as  architectural  iron,  both  wrought 
and  cast,  entered  largely  into  the  architect's  scheme 
of  ornamentation  for  the  building. 

The  high  Tower  of  the  building  owes  the  light 
and  open  effect  of  the 
great  window  bays  largely 
to  the  use  of  light  archi- 
tectural iron  work,  which 
was  employed  throughout 
these  bays  to  form  the 
framework  of  the  win- 
dows and  consists  of  cast 
iron  cornices  and  facias 
with  wrought  iron  mull- 
ions  and  jambs. 

At  every  7th  story 
on  each  of  the  four  fa- 

iron       s  iro" 

BALCONIES  balcon";s 
were  erect- 
ed, supported  on  orna- 
mental wrought  iron 
brackets.  Tons  of 
wrought  and  cast  iron 
were  used  in  this  feature 
of  the  building,  the  setting 
of  which  at  such  a  height 
involved  some  very  inter- 
esting problems  for  the 
contractors. 

All  of  the  stairs 
throughout  the  building 

STAIR  RUNS  ™ade 

AND  RISERS  ofcastand 

wrought  iron  01  ornamental  design. 

As  it  was  desired  to  reproduce  the  railing  design  used 
on  the  stairs  in  the  older  portion  of  the  building, 
this  design  was  skillfully  combined  with  the  string 
and  newel  details  of  a  newer  type  of  design,  produc- 
ing a  happy  result.  One  of  these  stairs  has  an  un- 
broken ascent  of  23  stories,  and  the  handrail  is  made 
of  drawn  bronze,  fitted  into  cast  bronze  newel  heads 
at  start  and  landing  of  each  flight  of  stairs. 

The  ornamental  cast  iron  window  work  enter- 
ing into  the  lower  13  stories  of  the  building  on  the 

[ 


WINDOW 
ORNAMENTS 


Broadway  and  Liberty  Street  fronts  constitutes  ex- 
cellent examples  of  the  iron  founder's  art,  the  slender 
round  window  mullions  with  spiral 
fluting  and  the  clearly  defined, 
molded  facias,  cornices  and  pedi- 
ments with  leaf  and  other  ornamentation,  standing 
out  in  strong  relief  with  the  bold  masonry  details, 
and  enhancing  the  beauty  of  the  principal  facades. 

Ornamental  railings,  of 
wrought  iron  scroll  design, 
also  grace  the  fronts  of  the 
building  at  certain  stories, 
that  at  the  11th  story 
being  of  a  particularly 
heavy  and  striking  design. 

The  elevator  fronts  are 
all  of  a  very  fitting  design 
with  their  combination  of 
wrought  and  cast  iron,  and 
indicate  that  much  study 
has  been  given  both  to 
design  and  workmanship. 
Most  of  the  elevator  fronts 
had  to  be  erected  at  night 
owing  to  the  fact  that  the 
elevator  cars  in  the  older 
part  of  the  building  were 
in  use  during  the  day. 

The  building  has  been 
fitly  topped  off  with  a  steel 

FLAG  POLE  'UbuIa.r 
nag  pole 


extending  62  feet  above 
the  collar  of  the  lantern, 
which  is  612  feet  above 
the  Broadway  sidewalk. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that 
the  flag  pole  is  set  in  such 
an  exposed  location  and  forms  a  very  dangerous 
attraction  for  lightning,  a  wooden  pole  appeared  im- 
practicable and  the  steel  construction  was  therefore 
adopted. 

The  pole  is  mounted  on  a  steel  socket  set  in  the 
lowermost  floor  of  the  lantern,  and  extends  upward 
through  the  top  three  stories,  a  distance  of  about 
30  feet.  Inside  of  the  building  the  pole  measures 
10 1  inches  in  diameter  and  it  tapers  from  the  collar 
down  to  5^  inches  at  the  tip.  The  joints  were  shrunk 
and  caulked  and  were  tested  so  as  to  be  sure  that 


33  ] 


to 


0 


1 1  tin: 


the  pole  was  absolutely 
air  tight  before  erecting. 
About  28  feet  above  the 
crown  collar,  the  pole  has 
been  fitted  with  two  8-inch 
sheaves  and  hoods  for  a 
32-inch  time  ball,  the  hoist- 
ing cables  for  which  are 
placed  inside  of  the  pole 
and  brought  out  into  an 
electrical  operating  winch 
on  one  of  the  lantern  floors. 
The  pole  is  trimmed  with  ;i 
cast  steel  king  pin  and  two 
nickel  ball  bearings,  upon 
w  hich  revolves  the  body  of 
the  truck  containing  two 
4^-inch  bronze  sheaves  for 
the  halyards. 

The  task  of  mounting 
this  pole  on  the  building 
was  a  hazardous  one,  ow- 
ing to  the  extreme  length 
of  the  one-piece  section 
above  the  roof,  which  had 
to  be  handled  under  very 
trying  circumstances  be- 
fore being  lowered  into 
the  Tower  elevator  shaft, 
prior  to  hoisting  it  through 
the  ground  collar. 

After  the  pole  was 
erected  in  place  it  was  sur- 
mounted bv  a  12-inch  <nlt 
copper  ball,  the  setting  of 
which  made  a  very  inter- 
esting sight  for  the  crowds 
of  people  passing  up  and 
down  Broadway. 

The  entire  ornamental 
iron  work  in  the  building 
was  completed  with  not- 
able expedition,  despite  tin- 
fact  that  unusual  difficul- 
ties had  to  be  surmounted, 
not  only  owing  to  the  great 
height  of  the  work,  but 
also  to  the  confined  floor 
space  and  the  number  of 
contractors  at  work  within 
that  space. 


[34] 


MASONRY 


FIREPROOFING 

IT  was  the  intention  of  the  owners  and  architect 
in  the  construction  of  the  Singer  Building  to 
use  the  most  approved  means  of  fireproof  con- 
struction. To  this  end,  every  inch  of  the  steel  con- 
struction is  protected  with  an  adequate  covering  of 
terra  cotta  hollow  tile,  the  standard  fireproofing  ma- 
terial. It  is  also  used  for  forming  the  floors  of  the 
building  by  laying  it  in  the  spans  between  the  steel 
floor  beams. 

This  material  was  all  furnished  by  the  National 
Fireproofing  Company,  the  largest  producers  of  terra 
cotta  hollow  tile  in  the  world,  and  is  all  of  standard 
approved  quality. 

Terra  cotta  hollow  tile  is  a  clay  product.  In  the 
manufacture  of  hollow  fireproofing  blocks  the  clay 
is  burnt  to  a  temperature  of  approximately  2,800 
degrees,  so  that  when  fire  occurs  in  a  structure  fire- 
proofed  with  this  material  little  damage  can  result  to 
the  material  until  this  degree  of  heat  has  been  ap- 
proximated and  continued  for  a  considerable  length 
of  time. 


Terra  cotta  hollow  tile  were  also  used  throughout 
the  building  for  partitions  and  for  furring  the  ex- 
terior walls.  The  roof  construction  also  is  of  porous 
terra  cotta  hollow  tile  furnished  by  the  National 
Fireproofing  Company,  so  that  the  floors,  partitions, 
the  coverings  of  steel  columns  and  girders  and  the 
roof  are  all  composed  of  this  fireproof  material. 

As  giving  an  idea  of  the  great  size  of  this  building, 
it  may  be  said  that  the  National  Fireproofing  Com- 
pany furnished  more  than  78.'}, 000  square  feet  of  terra 
cotta  hollow  tile  fireproofing  for  the  purposes  de- 
scribed, equivalent  in  area  to  more  than  16  acres  and 
in  weight  to  7,800  tons,  equal  to  more  than  500  aver- 
age carloads. 

With  a  building  so  thoroughly  fireproof  in  its 
structure,  its  steel  entirely  protected,  its  floors,  roof 
and  partitions  of  this  indestructible  material,  and 
with  all  wood  and  other  combustible  finish  reduced 
to  the  barest  minimum,  any  damage  to  this  building 
by  fire,  either  from  fire  generated  within  itself  or 
from  fire  to  which  it  may  be  exposed  by  the  burning 
of  neighboring  properties,  is  reduced  to  a  contingency 
so  remote  as  to  be  a  minor  consideration. 


FACE  BRICK 

The  face  brick  are  dark  red  in  color,  laid  up 
in  English  bond,  using  half  brick  in  the  alternate 
header  courses  and  breaking  joint  in  the  stretcher 
courses;  nine  courses  to  two  feet.  The  joints  are 
wide  and  are  raked  out  to  a  depth  of  about  half  an 
inch,  giving  a  very  beautiful  and  interesting  example 
of  face  brick  work.  This  method  was  first  employed 
in  erecting  the  original  Singer  Building,  about  a 
decade  ago,  and  has  since  been  extensively  copied. 

One  of  the  bricks  at  the  top  of  the  Tower  was 


[ 


made  of  silver,  instead  of  clay,  to  emphasize  the  fact 
that  it  is  the  highest  brick  in  the  world.  There  are, 
in  the  entire  group  of  buildings,  5,033,800  brick, 
of  which  about  1,000,000  are  in  the  Tower  proper. 
If  these  brick  were  laid  end  to  end  they  would  ex- 
tend a  sufficient  distance  to  reach  from  New  York 
to  Detroit,  Mich.,  635  miles.  They  would  pave  a 
footpath  12  inches  wide  from  New  York  to  Boston.. 
Mass. 

The  face  brick  were  furnished  by  the  John  B. 
Rose  Co.  of  640  West  Fifty-second  Street,  New  York. 


BLUESTONE 

About  1,500  cubic  feet  of  North  River  bluestone 
were  used  in  the  Singer  Building  construction,  com- 
prising templates,  bondstones,  base  courses,  window- 
sills,  lintel  roof  coping  and  entrance  steps. 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing  the  sidewalk  flagging 
and  street  curb  entered  into  this  contract,  the  latter 
being  notable  as  the  largest  bluestone  curl),  "in 
section,"  fronting  any  building  in  New  York  City. 

All  of  the  bluestone  was  furnished  and  placed  in 
position  by  Martin  P.  Lodge  of  New  York  City. 


[36] 


BRICK  MASONRY 

This  was  one  of  the  largest  and  most  im- 
portant of  all  the  contracts  for  the  erection  of 
the  building.  It  comprised  principally  the  con- 
struction of  foundation  walls;  all  the  common, 
face  and  enamel  brick  masonry  throughout;  the 
setting  of.  all  exterior  terra  cotta;  all  terra  cotta 
floor  and  roof  arches;  terra  cotta  block  fur- 
ring for  walls,  columns  and  partitions;  in  short, 
all  rilling  in  and  encasing  of  the  structural 
steel  framework  and  all  anchors  for  masonry 
work. 

The  brick  work  was  laid  up  in  Atlas  Port- 
land  cement  mortar. 

The  Tower  walls  are  12  inches  thick  at 
the  toj)  and  practically  40  inches  at  the  base. 
From  the  14th  to  the  32d  floor  they  are  built 
with  a  continuous  batter  on  the  outside  face 
amounting  to  I  of  an  inch  per  story.  On 
account  of  this  novel  arrangement  the  floor 
space  inside  the  Tower  is  no  less  in  the  lower 
stories  than  it  is  near  the  top,  while  the 
shaft  of  the  building  has  a  slightly  tapering 
effect,  adding  to  its  appearance  of  solidity  and 
stability. 

The  doors  and  flat  roofs  throughout  were 
built  of  Hat  terra  cotta  arches,  generally  10 
inches  in  depth,  "end  construction"  type.  As 
the  floor  beams  in  the  Tower  were  spaced  4 
feet  on  centers  this  resulted  in  very  strong  floors, 
capable  of  transmitting  the  lateral  wind  pres- 
sure, and  adding  greatly  to  the  stiffness  and 
rigidity  of  the  building,  which,  considering  its 
height,  are  remarkable. 

There  were  540,000  terra  cotta  floor  blocks 
used,  sufficient  to  cover  an  area  of  eight  and  one 
third  acres. 

Most  of  the  partitions  were  built  of  8-inch 
by  12-inch  porous  terra  cotta  blocks,  2,  3  and 
4  inches  thick.  The  steel  columns  were  furred 
with  similar  blocks  2  inches  thick.  All  outside 
walls  were  similarly  furred.  There  were  about 
875,000  of  these  blocks  used. 

The  entire  masonry  contract  was  executed 
by  John  T.  Brady  &  Co.  of  New  York,  with 
Mr.  J.  P.  Butler  and  Mr.  John  Dordan  of  that 
Company  in  charge  of  the  work. 


.  .    «  n  inn  -- 


-  V***  '      ,  ,    «  M  ill  l" 

f  ■ 


r  ft  I 


H  J  'I, 

u  inn 


THE  SINGER  TOWER,  OCTOBER  20,  3SS62 


I 


MASONRY:  CUT  STONE  WOK K 

l\  the  building  of  the  Singer  Tower  4,280,000 
pounds  of  limestone  were  used,  the  greater  part 
above  the  .'>.'5d  floor.  Handling  this  stone  work  was 
a  verv  difficull  operation,  because  all  had  to  be 
hoisted  from  the  street  side  and  carried  through  to 
position  on  the  other  laces.  This  may  seem  a  sim- 
ple thing  to  do,  hnt  owing  to  the  intricacy  of  the 
structure,  crowded  with  workmen  of  many  trades, 
it  was  very  difficult. 

Nevertheless,  the  whole  operation,  including  hoist- 
ing and  setting  of  stones  up  to  5  tons  in  weight,  at 
heights  varying  from  210  to  520  feel  from  the  street 
level,  was  accomplished  by  the  contractors  without 
any  accident  whatever,  a  remarkable  achievement, 
in  view  of  the  risks  attendant  on  this  kind  of  work. 

A  very  interesting  feature  occurs  above  the  33d 
floor  where,  supported  on  tromp  arches  having  a 
curved  face  projecting  .">  feet,  S  inches,  a  whole  story, 
crowned  by  spacious  balconies,  is  carried,  the  pro- 
jection of  the  balcony  from  the  pier  face  below  being 
S  feet  (5  inches.  This  was  an  especially  difficult  piece 
of  work,  as  it  was  impossible  to  install  the  steel  frame- 
work to  which  the  tromp  arches  are  attached  until  after 
the  stone  work  was  set,  and  owing  to  their  peculiar 
form,  specially  designed  centering  and  falsework  had 
to  be  used.  There  are  27  stones,  weighing  altogether 
00  tons,  in  each  of  these  arches.  In  hoisting  the  stone 
work,  which  was  raised  in  a  single  lift  from  Broad- 
way, 1,900  feet  of  f-inch  cable  had  to  be  wound  on 
the  drum  of  the  hoisting  machine,  the  greatest  length 
by  far  that  has  ever  been  used  in  a  similar  operation. 

The  limestone  was  furnished  and  erected  by  ./.  ./. 
Spurr  <(•  Sons  of  Harrison,  X.  J. 


ARCHITECTURAL 
TERRA  COl TA 

Thkre  are  three  balco- 
nies on  each  of  the  four  lofty 
bays  in  the  Singer  Tower. 

They  are  composed  of 
terra  cotta  furnished  by  The 
New  Jersey  Terra  Cotta 
Co.,  108  Fulton  Street,  New 
York  City,  who  also  fur- 
nished the  pilasters,  ex 
tending  upward  from  each 
balcony,  as  shown  in  this 
illustration. 


"Hi.. 


SCAFFOLDING 

The  contract  for  scaffolding  was  given  to  the 
Chesebro-W hitman  Company  of  Sixty-fourth  Street 
and  First  Avenue,  New  York  City.  Their  work 
consisted  of  building  the  outside  scaffolding,  tem- 
porary elevator  shafts  and  heavy  working  platforms 
around  the  building.  This  work  was  particularly 
difficult  and  dangerous,  but  was  performed  with- 
out accident  or  delay  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  all 
concerned. 

Under  a  separate  contract  the  Chesebro-Whit- 
man  Company  furnished  the  first  flag  pole,  rigged 
with  flags,  to  welcome  the  steamship  Lusitania  on 
her  first  trip  to  the  port  of  New  York.  They  set  the 
temporary  flag  pole,  GO  feet  long,  projecting  from 
the  west  side  of  the  Tower  as  illustrated.  They 
also  supplied  the  different  contractors  with  their 
specialties  in  scaffolding — tool  houses,  ladders, 
horses,  tubs,  wheelbarrows,  sand  screens,  wedges, 
hose,  hods,  rope,  tool  boxes  and  portable  offices. 


[39] 


CARPENTRY 


carpentry  contract  comprised  work  principally  of  ;i 
temporary  nature,  such  as  scaffoldings  and  platforms, 
and  some  permanent  work  located  mostly  in  the 
Bourne  Building,  Bourne  Building  Addition,  and 
Singer  Building  proper.  The  only  carpentry  in  the 
Tower  consists  of  show-window  work,  covered  with 
bronze;  oak  paneled  stools  and  jambs  for  these  show 
windows;  store  doors  of  oak;  some  office  railings  of 
mahogany  and  kitchen  and  pantry  dressers  of  yellow 
pine  and  white  wood. 

A  great  amount  of  temporary  carpentry  work  was 
required  for  the  Singer  Building  proper  on  account 
of  the  complete  removal  of  the  old  roof  and  the  tak- 
ing down  of  the  Broadway  and  Liberty  Street  fronts 
to  the  7th-floor  level,  these  portions  being  rebuilt 
and  the  entire  structure  raised  4  stories  in  height. 
Thus  platforms  were  erected  in  the  court  about  5 

[ 


feet  wide  extending  the  entire  length  of  the  south  and 
east  walls,  with  railings,  stairs  and  hoists;  and  in 
the  7th  story  a  temporary  weather-proof  partition, 
running  around  the  entire  building,  about  3  feet 
back  from  the  front  walls,  was  built,  with  windows 
and  doors. 

The  permanent  work  in  the  Bourne  Addition 
Building  consisted  of  store  and  entrance  doors  and 
show  windows  of  quartered  oak,  also  of  office  par- 
titions and  some  pantry  dressers,  likewise  of  oak. 

In  the  Bourne  Building  it  consisted  of  interior 
h  im  and  doors,  office  partitions  and  railings,  all  of 
oak. 

In  the  Singer  Building  proper,  again  of  interior 
liiui  and  doors,  office  partitions  and  railings,  all  of 
oak.  from  the  7th  to  the  loth  stories;  further  of  show 
windows  covered  with  bronze,  and  of  the  finished  and 
under  flooring. 

All  material  for  finished  work  was  absolutely 
clear  and  free  from  knots,  cracks,  sap  or  other  de- 
fects, thoroughly  seasoned  and  kiln  dried.  All  in- 
terior work,  including  doors,  was  hand-smoothed 
and  sandpapered  before  being  set  into  place;  back 
and  edge  (tainted,  stopped  and  primed,  face  filled  or 
.shellaced,  before  leaving  the  shops. 

Veneering,  where  required,  was  not  less  than  I 
inch  thick;  edge  veneering,  £  inch. 

New  front  window  sashes  in  the  Singer  Building 
proper,  below  the  7th  floor,  were  made  of  clear 
cherry  to  match  the  old  work. 

All  oak  was  of  the  best  quality  quarter  sawn 
American  white  oak,  selected  and  matched  as  to 
quality  and  color. 

The  contract  included  furnishing  and  setting  of 
"grounds"  |  inch  thick,  for  door  and  window  open- 
ings, trim,  base,  chair  rails,  picture  moldings  and 
wainscoting,  in  the  old  building. 

Wooden  under  flooring  consisted  of  |-in.  x  6-in. 
dressed  and  jointed  spruce,  laid  close  and  nailed  to 
sleepers,  finished  flooring  of  comb-grained  yellow  pine 
with  a  double  thickness  of  3-ply  rosin-sized  building 
paper  between  the  two. 

The  Directory  Board  in  the  ground  floor  entrance 
lobby  of  the  Bourne  Building  was  replaced  by  one 
of  new  design,  with  ornaments  carved  according  to 
models. 

All  of  the  above  carpentry  and  joinery  work  was 
furnished  and  installed  by  C.  W.  Klapperts'  Sons, 
Sue,  328  East  Twenty- fifth  Street,  New  York. 

J 


EXTERIOR  SHEET  METAL  WORK 


THE  most  striking  features  of  this  contract 
were  the  ornamentations,  hip  rolls,  crestings 
and  the  dormer  windows  of  the  dome  in  the 
36th,  37th,  38th  and  39th  stories;  and  the  turret, 
technically  known  as  the  "lantern,"  surmounting 
the  dome  and  forming  the  crowning  feature  of  the 
1  ower. 

With  the  exception  of  the  floors  this  lantern 
consists  entirely  of  highly  ornamented  copper,  built 
around  a  steel  cage  of  angle  channel  and  beam  work 


and  the  topmost  "lift"  of  the  four  central  columns 
of  the  Tower. 

Looking  at  it  from  Broadway  one  does  not  readily 
realize  that  the  lantern  is  really  64  feet  5  inches  in 
height,  or  as  high  as  the  average  five-story  house.  It 
contains  the  40th  to  the  45th  stories. 

Elevator  No.  6,  the  highest  rise  elevator  in  the 
building,  lands  at  the  40th  or  Observation  Floor. 
From  here  steep  open  stairs  and  ladders  lead  to  the 
45th  story,  which  is  the  highest  "attic"  in  the  world, 
with  the  highest  "roof  scuttle."  This  is  fitted  with 
an  ingenious  trapdoor,  opening  outward  to  form  a 
small  platform,  more  than  600  feet  above  the  side- 
walk, from  which  the  Singer  flag  is  raised  and  lowered. 

All  of  the  work  consists  of  18  oz.  cold  rolled 
copper. 

Besides  the  items  enumerated  above,  this  con- 
tract comprised  the  furnishing  and  erecting  of  all 
flashings,  gutters,  exterior  leaders,  ventilators,  sky- 
lights, covering  or  siding  of  bay  windows  and  roof 
houses;  all  roofing,  not  only  that  of  copper,  but  also 
that  of  slate  and  tile;  and  snow  guards. 

The  skylights  were  made  with  metal  bars  and 
glazed  with  best  f-inch  wired  glass,  and  there  are 
wire  guards  over  them. 

To  gain  light  and  space,  practically  all  the  windows 
fronting  on  the  interior  courts  of  the  Singer  Building 
are  built  in  the  form  of  bays,  covered  with  copper. 
The  siding  of  the  roof  houses  is  of  copper  clapboards. 

The  flat  portions  of  the  roofs  are  covered  with 
Akron,  Ohio,  self-glazed  roofing  tile,  6  in.  x  9  in.  x 
1  in.,  bedded  in  asphalt  cement  and  five  layers  of 
heavy  tarred  roofing  felt. 

The  dome  of  the  Tower  is  covered  with  Maine 
roofing  slate,  10  in.  x  16  in.,  i^-in.  thick.  To  get 
this,  likewise  the  copper  work,  into  place  was  one 
of  the  most  difficult  and  dangerous  undertakings 
encountered  in  erecting  the  Tower,  as  the  steeply 
sloping  sides  of  the  dome  afforded  practically  no  foot- 
hold. The  men  handling  the  big  sheets  of  copper  at 
this  great  height  were  in  constant  danger  of  being 
blown  off  and  had  to  be  roped  on  for  safety. 

This  entire  contract  was  executed  by  the  Herr- 
mann &  Grace  Co.,  sheet-metal  contractors,  of 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

] 


STEEL  SASH 

The  most  prominent  feature  of  the  shaft  of  the 
Tower,  in  fact  the  motif  of  its  design,  is  the  screen  of 
its  fifty-seven  windows,  on  the  axis  of  each  of  its  four 
sides,  arranged  so  as  to  have  the  effect  of  one  great 
window  nineteen  stories  high  and  28  feet  wide. 

Instead  of  consisting  of  the  customary  hollow 
metal  or  metal-covered  wood  construction,  these 
windows,  in  fact  all  the  windows  in  the  Tower  from 
the  13th  Mezzanine  story  to  the  top,  have  solid  rolled 
steel  frames  and  sash,  which  were  manufactured  in 
England  by  George  Tf'ragge,  Ltd.,  and  imported  by 
F.  G.  Draper  of  New  York. 

The  large  curved  windows  in  the  dome  of  the 
Tower  required  specially  reenforced  muntins  on  ac- 
count of  their  great  width. 


Each  of  the  central  windows  is  about  9  feet  high 
by  10£  feet  wide,  and  comprises  fifteen  separate 
sashes,  each  about  2x3  feet. 

Nine  of  these  sashes  are  pivoted  top  and  bottom, 
opening  out  for  about  two-thirds  of  their  width,  while 
the  remaining  six  are  stationary.  The  frames  have 
5-inch  hooks,  and  the  sashes  corresponding  eyelets, 
to  hold  them  at  the  proper  distance  from  the  frames, 
when  open. 

Both  the  frames  and  sash  are  composed  of 
small  "T"  bars  about  2"  x  \"  and  1",  with 
moldings,  and  L's  and  ['s  about  V  x  \\"  x  , 
ingeniously  mitred,  fitted  and  screwed  together. 
The  movable  sash  has  quaintly  shaped  grips  which 
add  greatly  to  the  interesting  appearance  of  the 
windows. 

On  every  sixth  story  of  the  Tower  there  are  bal- 

] 


conies.  To  afford  access  to  them,  the  central  win- 
dows in  those  stories  were  extended  down  to  the 
floor  and  made  to  open  outward. 

Besides  the  windows,  F.  G.  Draper  furnished  the 
ceiling  lights  in  the  domes  of  the  main  entrance 
corridor,  and  the  ceiling  lights  throughout  the  space 
occupied  by  The  Safe  Deposit  Company  of  New 
York.  These  ceiling  lights  are  constructed  of 
Wragge  bars  similar  to  the  windows. 

[43] 


CEMENT  AND  CONCRETE  WORK 


PORTLAND  CEMENT 

ONE  of  the  most  important  materials  used  in 
conjunction  with  the  foundations  and  ma- 
sonry work  was  the  Atlas  Portland  Cement. 
It  w  as  required  to  conform  to  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment standard,  i.  c,  it  had  to  be  of  uniform  quality, 
color  and  weight,  with  a  specific  gravity  of  not  less  than 
3.10  and  contain  not  more  than  .'H  per  cent,  of  mag 
nesia,  nor  less  than  (50  per  cent,  of  lime.  Jt  had  to  be 
so  fine  that  not  less  than  99  per  cent,  would  pass  through 
a  2,500  mesh  sieve,  and  90  per  cent,  pass  a  10,000  mesh 
sieve  of  respectively  No.  35  and  40  BAY.  gauge  wire. 
The  initial  set  was  not  to  take  place  in  less  than  one 
hour,  nor  the  final  set  in  less  than  three  hours. 

It  had  to  show  a  minimum  average  tensile  strength 
per  square  inch  of  200  pounds  when  mixed  neat;  and 


.ifter  setting  one  day  in  the  air  until  hard  and  in 
water  the  rest  of  the  time.  500  pounds  after  seven 
davs  and  650  pounds  after  twenty-eight  days.  When 
mixed  with  three  parts  of  sand  it  had  to  show  a 
strength,  after  seven  days,  of  165  pounds. 

All  mortar  used  for  masonry,  except  for  the  setting 
of  limestone  work,  was  composed  of  one  part  of  Atlas 
Portland  Cement  to  three  parts  of  sand.  Concrete 
consisted  of  one  part  of  cement,  two  parts  of  sand 
and  five  of  broken  stone. 

There  were  about  22,000  barrels  of  Atlas  Port- 
land Cement  used  in  all.  At  the  rate  of  five  barrels 
to  a  ton  this  constitutes  4,520  tons,  sufficient  to  fill 
150  ears,  or  several  train  loads.  It  was  furnished  to 
the  various  contractors  requiring  it  at  the  building  in 
truck-load  lots  by  the  Atlas  Portland  Cement  Co.,  30 
Broad  Street,  New  York. 

J 


PLASTERING  CEMENT 


CONCRETE 


In  plastering  the  Singer  Building  the  question 
of  material  was  given  due  consideration  by  owners 
and  architect.  Being  the  entire  inside  wearing  sur- 
face, excepting,  of  course,  the  floors,  it  received 
the  most  careful  attention,  and  King's  Windsor 
Cement,  composed  only  of  high  grade  materials, 
compounded  with  the  greatest  care,  was  selected 
and  used  exclusively  throughout  the  entire  struc- 
ture. 

King's  Windsor  Cement  has  stood  a  time  test 
which  the  most  exacting  architects  and  engineers 
cannot  question.  It  has  been  a  commercial  article 
for  more  than  twenty  years  and  its  merits  and  superior 
qualities  have  been  recognized  by  the  best  architects, 
owners  and  contractors,  who  have  used  it  for  plaster- 
ing the  most  expensive  Government,  State  and  private 
buildings,  including  post  offices,  college  buildings, 
libraries,  public  schools,  etc. 

King's  Windsor  Cement  is  sufficiently  hard  to 
withstand  the  roughest  usage  without  marring,  yet 
it  is  not  brittle  nor  resonant.  It  is  not  easily  broken 
and  will  not  transmit  sound.  The  first  characteristic 
renders  it  invaluable  for  all  classes  of  work  where 
the  plastering  is  subjected  to  more  than  ordinary 
wear,  such  as  railroad  stations.  The  second  char- 
acteristic has  caused  it  to  be  used  in  the  finest  resi- 
dences, hospitals,  apartments,  dormitories,  hotels, 
etc. 

The  superior  acoustic  qualities  of  Windsor  Cement 
have  also  been  recognized  by  its  being  selected  for 
plastering  theatres,  churches,  etc. 

This  is  fast  becoming  an  age  of  steel  and  concrete 
construction  and  it  is  absolutely  imperative  that  the 
plaster,  which  is  applied  directly  to  the  metal,  should 
not  contain  free  acid  or  have  any  corrosive  effect 
on  the  metal.  King's  Windsor  Cement  fills  these 
requirements.  It  will  not  rust  or  corrode  metal,  and 
it  is  fireproof. 

The  absence  of  free  acid  in  its  manufacture  also 
warrants  expensive  decorations  in  either  water  or 
oil  colors  with  satisfaction  and  perfect  safety.  King's 
Windsor  Cement  will  not  discolor  paper  of  the  most 
delicate  decorations. 

The  quick  drying  quality  of  King's  Windsor 
Cement  is  also  especially  valuable.  Its  easy  working 
qualities  are  pleasing  to  the  mechanic.  It  is  applied 
with  the  same  tools  and  in  the  same  manner  as  lime 
and  hair  mortar,  and  can  be  delivered  in  such  quan- 
tities as  may  be  required. 

This  cement  is  made  by  J.  B.  King  &  Co.,  office 
at  No.  1  Broadway,  New  York. 

[ 


The  concrete  subflooring  consists  principally  in 
the  leveling  up  of  the  floor  surface  in  all  halls,  offices, 
corridors,  etc.,  to  receive  the  finished  flooring,  amount- 
ing to  approximately  300,000  square  feet,  about  4 
inches  in  depth  above  the  top  of  the  hollow  tile  arches. 

The  work  was  done  by  Harrison  <|  Meyer,  No. 
16  East  Eighteenth  Street,  New  York. 

The  quantity  of  material  used  in  this  work  was 
about  2,500  cubic  yards  of  cinders,  1,500  cubic  yards 
of  sand,  and  4,000  barrels  of  "Atlas"  cement. 

The  floors  in  all  offices  were  accurately  laid  within 
\  inch  of  the  finished  floor  level,  and  those  in  corridors 
to  within  2  inches  of  the  finished  floor. 

The  upper  floors  in  the  Tower,  above  the  30th 
floor,  have  a  cement  finish  over  the  cinder  concrete. 

The  cinder  concrete  was  mixed  in  the  proportion 
of  1  cement,  3  sand  and  5  cinders. 

The  materials  were  mixed  in  the  cellar  and  raised 
to  various  floors  by  electric  hoists,  and  there  spread 
in  place.  An  average  of  thirty  men  were  employed 
in  this  work,  which  had  to  be  done  principally  at 
night  when  the  building  was  practically  free  of  other 
mechanics,  in  order  to  save  time. 


GLAZING 

An  unusually  large  quantity  of  glass  is  used  in  the 
Singer  Building,  especially  the  Tower,  which  con- 
tains, from  the  14th  story  upward,  22,103  square  feet; 
below  the  14th  story,  15,166  square  feet.  This  is  the 
best  lighted  office  building  in  New  York. 

In  the  old  Singer  Building,  Bourne  Building  and 
Bourne  Building  Addition  were  used  38,684  square 
feet,  and  throughout  the  entire  interior,  9,250  square 
feet.  The  total  amount  equals  85,203  square  feet,  or 
practically  two  acres:  enough  to  glaze  a  continuous 
show  window,  6  feet  high,  along  one  side  of  Broad- 
way from  Liberty  Street  to  Thirty-fourth  Street. 

First  quality  American  polished  cast  plate  glass  was 
used  for  all  exterior  sash  in  the  main  fronts,  east  face 
of  Tower  above  the  13th  Mezzanine,  south  and  west 
faces  above  15th  floor  and  north  face  above  27th  floor. 

First  quality,  flawless,  polished  wire  glass  was 
used  for  the  rest  of  the  window  glazing  in  order  to 
comply  with  requirements  of  the  Building  Depart- 
ment, in  lieu  of  iron  shutters. 

First  quality,  26  oz.  acid  ground  glass,  ground  on 
one  side  only  and  finished  with  border  and  corner 
rosettes,  was  generally  used  for  interior  sash,  doors 
and  transoms. 

The  glass  for  ceiling  lights  in  main  entrance  cor- 
ridors is  rippled,  light  amber  in  color. 


THE  ELEVATOR  EQUIPMENT 


THE  elevator  plant  was  installed  by  the  Otis 
Elevator  Company,  and  is  one  of  the  most 
interesting  as  well  as  important  adjuncts  to 
the  building;  interesting  because  the  40th  Moor,  .548 
feet  above  the  sidewalk,  is  reached  by  one  elevator 
without  change  of  cars,  this  being  the  first  elevator 
ever  installed  for  service  at  such  a  height;  and  im- 
portant because  the  measure  of  the  plant's  success 
as  an  ideal  of  what  an  elevator  plant  should  be  will, 
to  a  very  great  extent,  be  the  measure  of  the  com- 
mercial success  of  the  building. 

The  three  buildings  which  compose  the  group 
are  equipped  with  fifteen  Otis  Traction  Elevators, 
one  short  rise  Electric  Drum  Type  Elevator  and  three 
Direct  Lift  or  Plunger  Type  sidewalk  elevators. 
These  are  located  and  arranged  to  travel  as  follows : 
In  Tower  Building:  One  traction  elevator  from 
ground  to  40th  floor,  548  feet;  three  traction  ele- 
vators from  ground  to  35th  floor,  480  feet;  two  trac- 
tion elevators  from  basement  to  13th  floor,  191  feet; 
two  traction  elevators  from  ground  to  13th  floor, 


40 


I7(i  IVet;  one  drum  type  elevator  from  35th  to  38th 
floor. 

Original  Singer  Building:  Two  traction  elevators 
from  ground  to  13th  floor,  179  feet;  one  traction  ele- 
vator from  basement  to  roof,  204  feet. 

Bourne  Building:  Three  traction  elevators  from 
ground  to  13th  floor,  181  feet;  one  traction  elevator 
from  basement  to  roof,  211  feet. 

Each  of  the  passenger  elevators,  excepting  the  short 
rise  drum  type,  has  a  capacity  of  2,500  pounds,  at 
(500  feet  per  minute  speed.  The  cars  have  an  area 
of  about  35  square  feet  each,  and  the  highest  rise 
elevator  in  each  group  is  capable  of  lifting  a  maxi- 
mum load  of  5,000  pounds  at  slow  speed.  The  cars 
for  these  elevators  are  equipped  with  heavy  locking 
devices  for  holding  them  immovable  at  any  landing 
while  safes  are  being  loaded  and  unloaded. 

The  machines,  which  are  driven  by  40  H.P.  240 
volt  direct  current  motors,  are  located  directly  over 
their  respective  hoistways,  thereby  giving  maximum 
efficiency  and  requiring  minimum  space. 

] 


As  will  he  seen  from  the  illustration,  the  work- 
ing parts  of  the  Otis  Electric  Traction  Elevator 
have  been  reduced  to  the  simplest  possible  elements. 
The  elevator  engine  consists  essentially  of  a  motor, 
traction  driving  sheave  and  a  brake  pulley,  the 
latter  enclosed  with  a  pair  of  powerful  spring  actu- 
ated, electrically  released  brake  shoes,  all  compactly 
grouped  and  mounted  on  a  heavy  iron  bed  plate. 

Instead  of  the  high  speed  motor  used  with  the 
geared  electric  elevator,  a  slow  speed  shunt  wound 
motor  designed  especially  for  the  service  is  used. 

The  armature  shaft,  which  is  of  high  tensile  steel 
of  unusually  large  diameter,  is  also  the  driving  shaft, 
and  on  it  are  mounted  the  brake  pulley  and  the  trac- 
tion driving  sheave. 

The  introduction  of  the  direct  drive,  and  conse- 
quent elimination  of  all  intermediate  gearing  between 
the  motor  and  the  driven  member,  residts  in  a  machine 
of  remarkably  high  efficiency,  and  the  use  of  the  slow 
speed  motor,  together  with  the  carefully  designed  con- 
troller, gives  starting,  accelerating,  retarding  and  stop- 
ping effects  unexcelled  by  the  far  more  costly,  high 
grade  hydraulic  equipments.  The  stopping,  partic- 
ularly, is  accomplished  with  the  greatest  ease,  and 
with  absolutely  no  disagreeable  effects  to  the  passen- 
ger, this  resulting  from  the  comparatively  low  mo- 
mentum of  moving  parts  following  the  use  of  the  slow 
speed  motor. 

The  driving  cables,  from  one  end  of  which  is  sup- 
ported the  car,  and  from  the  other  end  the  counter- 
weight, pass  partly  around  the  trac- 
tion driving  sheave,  in  lieu  of  a 
drum,  continuing  around  an  idler 
leading  sheave,  thence  again  around  the  driving 
sheave,  thereby  forming  a  complete  loop  around  these 
two  sheaves,  this  arrangement  securing  the  necessary 
tractive  effort  for  lifting  the  car.  One  of  the  striking 
advantages  resulting  from  this  arrangement  of  cables 
and  the  method  of  driving  them  is  the  decrease  in 
traction  which  follows  the  landing  on  the  bottom 
of  the  shaft  of  either  the  car  or  the  counterweight, 
and  the  consequent  minimizing  of  the  lifting  power 
of  the  machine  until  normal  conditions  are  resumed. 
Inasmuch  as,  in  any  properly  constructed  elevator, 
the  parts  are  so  arranged  that  the  member  (car  or 
counterweight)  which  is  at  the  bottom  of  the  shaft 
must  come  to  rest  before  the  other  member  can  pos- 
sibly come  in  contact  with  the  overhead  work,  it  will 
be  readily  seen  that  the  above  mentioned  decrease 
in  lifting  effort  is  a  very  valuable  and  effective  safety 
feature  inherent  to  this  type  of  elevator. 

[  47 


DRIVING 
CABLES 


The  cables  are  arranged  with  straight  leads, 
thereby  increasing  their  life  through  the  elimination 
of  much  of  the  usual  bending  and  reverse  bending, 
and  their  durability  is  further  materially  increased 
by  the  use  of  ball-bearing  shackles  or  hitches,  both 
on  the  car  and  counterweight  ends,  which  are  ar- 
ranged to  allow  the  cables  to  twist  and  untwist  freely, 
following  their  natural  strong  tendency  to  do  so 
under  the  starting  and  stopping  strains,  which  tend- 
ency if  restrained  results  in  severe  torsional  stresses 
in  the  cables. 

The  controller  is  so  designed  in  connection  with 
the  motor  that  the  initial  retarding  of  the  car  and 
bringing  same  to  a  stop  is  indepen- 


THE  CONTROL= 
LING  DEVICES 


dent  of  the  brake,  the  latter  being 
required  only  to  bring  the  car  to 
final  positive  stop  and  to  hold  it  at  the  landings. 

The  motor  is  also  so  governed,  electrically,  as  to 
prevent  its  attaining  any  excessive  speed  with  the 
car  on  the  down  motion,  no  matter  what  the  load 
may  be. 

In  designing  the  controlling  equipment,  one  of 
the  features  demanding  greatest  consideration,  in 
view  of  the  high  speed  at  which  the  car  runs,  was 
the  automatic  retarding  of  its  speed  and  its  final 
positive  stopping,  automatically,  at  the  upper  and 
lower  terminals  of  travel.  This  result  is  very  satis- 
factorily attained  with  the  installation,  in  the  elevator 
hatchway,  of  two  groups  of  switches,  located  respec- 
tively at  the  top  and  bottom  of  the  shaft,  each  switch 
in  the  series  being  opened  one  after  another,  as  the 
car  passes,  each  operation  resulting  in  a  reduction 
of  speed  until  the  opening  of  the  final  switch  brings 
the  car  to  a  positive  stop,  applying  the  brake.  This 
operation  is  entirely  independent  of  the  operator  in 
the  car  and  is  effective  even  though  the  car  operating 
device  be  left  in  the  full  speed  position.  The  failure 
of  any  one  of  these  switches  would  result  merely  in 
the  stopping  of  the  car,  which  could  not  be  run  until 
the  switch  was  put  in  commission  again. 

An  elementary  feature  of  security  of  the  greatest 
interest  and  importance  is  provided  in  the  Otis  Oil 
Cushion  Buffers.  These  are  placed 
in  the  hoistway,  one  under  the  car 
and  one  under  the  counterweight, 
and  are  arranged  to  bring  either  the  car  or  the  counter- 
weight to  a  positive  stop,  through  the  telescoping  of 
the  buffer — -this  telescoping  occurring  at  a  carefully 
calculated  rate  of  speed,  which  is  regulated  by  the 
escapement  of  oil  from  one  chamber  of  the  buffer 
to  another.    The  buffers  have  been  proved  capable, 

] 


THE  SAFETY 
DEVICES 


by  actual  test,  of  bringing  a  loaded  car  safely  to 
rest  from  full  speed,  and  in  this  respect  are  unique 
among  elevator  safety  features  of  comparatively  low 
cost. 

In  addition  to  the  safety  features  already  men- 
tioned, the  cars  are  equipped  with  double-acting 
wedge-clamp  car  safeties  of  Otis  construction,  which 
are  installed  in  connection  with  speed  governors,  and 
which  are  arranged  to  grip  the  guide  rails  securely  and 
bring  the  car  to  a  safe  stop  in  case,  for  any  reason, 
the  speed  of  the  latter  exceeds,  by  an  undue  amount, 
the  speed  for  which  the  apparatus  was  installed. 
The  operation  of  the  governor  in  tripping  these  safe- 
ties also  opens  an  electric  switch  which  cuts  off  the 
current  supply  to  the  motor,  and  in  case  of  an  emer- 
gency the  safeties  can  also  be  worked  by  hand  by  the 
operator,  by  means  of  a  lever  provided  for  that  pur- 
pose in  the  car.  All  of  the  other  safety  features 
incidental  to  a  high  grade  elevator  installation,  such 
as  potential  switches,  safety  fuses,  automatic  center- 
ing feature  in  connection  with  the  operating  switch 
in  the  car,  emergency  switch,  etc.,  are  employed  in 
this  installation,  and  these,  together  with  the  sim- 
plicity of  the  installation  and  the  economy  of  space, 
resulting  from  the  location  of  the  machine  over  the 
hatchway,  together  with  many  refinements  which  have 
been  worked  out  in  the  details  of  the  equipment, 
have  resulted  in  apparatus  which  gives  remarkable 
demonstrations  of  the  excellence  of  the  type. 

All  the  elevators,  with  the  exception  of  the  sidewalk 
lifts,  will  be  used  for  passenger  service.  The  short 
rise  drum  type  elevator  is  used  for  augmenting  the 
service  on  occasion  from  the  35th  to  the  38th  floor, 
being  designed  for  intercommunication  between  the 
Singer  Company  offices,  and  is  of  the  Standard  Otis 
Worm  Gear  Electric  Type.  The  hydraulic  plunger 
sidewalk  elevators  are  used  for  the  usual  basement 
freight  service,  and  are  operated  from  a  pumping 
plant  and  tank  system  installed  especially  for  this 
service. 

The  demands  made  upon  elevator  ropes  have 
been  constantly  increasing  until,  in  the  large  buildings 
of  the  present  day,  the  ropes  used 
must  be  practically  perfect  in  ma- 
terial and  construction.  In  the  Singer  Building,  the 
requirements  of  strength,  speed  and,  above  all,  safety, 
brought  forth  the  desire  for  a  rope  as  nearly  perfect 
in  every  way  as  could  be  produced. 

The  ropes  were  ordered  by  the  Otis  Company 
from  the  John  A.  Roebling's  Sons  Co.,  the  oldest 
and  largest  individual  wire  rope  manufacturers  in  the 

[  48 


WIRE  ROPES 


world,  wdiose  factories  are  situated  at  Trenton  and 
Roebling,  New  Jersey. 

Special  stock  was  selected,  the  wires  were  specially 
drawn,  and  particular  care  was  given  to  the  laying 
up  of  the  wires  and  strands  into  rope. 

The  result  is  a  series  of  ropes  as  nearly  perfect  in 
all  details  as  can  be  manufactured  by  the  most  mod- 
ern methods. 

One  interesting  feature  in  connection  with  the 
elevator  installation  was  the  temporary  elevator  used 
for  carrying  the  workmen  and  the 


TEMPORARY 
ELEVATOR 


less  bulky  materials.  When  the 
steel  work  had  reached  a  sufficient 
height  a  traction  machine  was  installed,  with  a 
car  running  to  the  10th  floor.  Later,  the  machine, 
which  was  located  over  the  shaft,  was  raised  so 
that  the  car  ran  successively  to  the  L6th,  21st,  29th, 
32d  and  39th  floors.  These  changes  were  each  made 
in  minimum  time,  usually  over  Sunday,  so  that  there 
was  practically  no  interruption  of  elevator  service  to 
the  highest  point  in  the  building  which  it  was  practi- 
cable to  reach.  The  use  of  a  high  speed  elevator  for 
temporary  service  in  a  building  in  course  of  erec- 
tion was  a  novelty,  but  it  worked  out  very  success- 

fully. 

Finally,  it  may  be  said  that  the  traction  type, 
unique  among  elevators,  is  the  logical  outcome  of 
the  tendency  of  the  day  toward  the  greatest  possible 
simplicity,  as  resulting  in  maximum  economy  and 
the  highest  degree  of  safety,  and  no  one  can  fail  to 
be  impressed  with  the  feeling  of  solidity  and  sub- 
stantiality which  is,  to  a  remarkable  degree,  the  sen- 
sation of  the  passenger  in  one  of  the  Singer  Build- 
ing elevators. 


ELEVATOR  AUXILIARIES  AND  ELECTRIC 
TIME  RECORDERS 


ELECTRIC 
LIGHT  SIGNALS 


With  the  advent  of  high  buildings  requiring  a 
large  number  of  elevators,  the  question  of  the  best 
elevator  service  for  handling  people 
quickly,  pleasantly  and  economic- 
ally is  of  the  utmost  importance. 
The  earlier  forms  of  elevator  service  comprised 
a  separate  set  of  buttons  for  each  elevator  for  signal- 
ing to  the  operators  of  the  respective  cars,  also  a 
mechanical  indicating  device  on  the  elevator  en- 
closure which  showed  the  position  and  the  direction 
of  the  travel  of  the  car  in  transit.    Such  equipments 

] 


are  satisfactory  where  only  one  or  two  ears  are  in- 
volved, with  a  reasonably  short  travel  to  each.  Al- 
though such  mechanical  devices  are  satisfactory  under 
the  conditions  described,  they  are  a  positive  annoy- 
ance to  the  waiting  passenger  when  there  are  a  num- 
ber of  elevators  in  a  group,  it  being  obvious  that  a 
passenger  on  any  floor  must  first  note  the  position 
and  the  direction  of  the  movement  of  all  the  indicator 
hands  upon  the  elevator  enclosure  in  order  to  de- 
termine which  of  the  elevators  is  nearest  the  floor, 
moving  in  the  direction  he  wishes  to  go. 

The  carrying  capacity  of  the  elevators  can  be 
largely  augmented  and  the  efficiency  of  operation 
increased  by  the  installation  of  the  Armstrong  Flash 
Light  Signal  for  signaling  to  operators  and  waiting 
passengers.  This  system  has  been  installed  in  the 
fifteen  passenger  elevators  in  the  Singer  Building. 

It  is  usual  to  provide  at  the  ground  floor  a  dial 
for  each  elevator,  these  dials  having  numbers  repre- 
senting the  various  floors  and  each  provided  with  a 
movable  pointer,  operated  by  the  respective  eleva- 
tor's machinery  so  as  to  show  the  position  of  said 
car  in  the  hatch. 

Owing  to  the  large  number  of  openings  served 
by  the  elevators  in  the  Singer  Building  and  the 
limited  space  that  was  at  the  disposal  of  the  engineer 
for  a  dial  for  each  one  on  the  ground  floor,  it  was 
found  impracticable  to  use  a  mechanical  equipment 
for  this  purpose.  Instead,  an  electrical  system  con- 
sisting of  rows  of  miniature  lamps,  each  row  repre- 
senting one  elevator  with  a  separate  lamp  for  each 
opening,  was  installed  at  the  ground  floor  for  each  of 
the  three  groups  of  elevators. 

In  the  Chief  Engineer's  office  was  placed  another 
position  indicator  board  showing  multiple  indications 
of  those  given  above  for  all  elevators  in  the  building, 
by  means  of  which  the  Chief  Engineer  can,  at  all 
times,  tell  the  location  of  the  elevators  in  any  hatch, 
whether  they  are  performing  their  proper  duty  and , 
service,  and,  if  in  difficulty,  he  is  able  to  tell  at  what 
point  in  the  hatch  the  elevators  are  in  distress. 

Each  group  of  elevators  is  equipped  with  an  "up" 
and  "down"  push  plate  on  the  elevator  enclosure  at 
each  floor  for  signaling  to  the  operator.  Each  car 
is  provided  with  a  signal  light,  which  operates  one 
and  a  half  floors  in  advance  of  the  floor  on  which 
the  button  has  been  pushed. 

On  the  elevator  enclosures  are  provided  an  "up" 
and  "down"  light  under  push  button  control  and  set 
so  that  the  signal  will  be  given  to  the  waiting  pas- 
senger two  and  a  half  or  three  floors  in  advance  of 

[  49 


INTERIOR   OF    CAR,   SHOWING   STARTING   AND  STOPPING 
MECHANISM,  TELEPHONE  AND  MEGAPHONE 

the  arrival  of  the  car  at  the  floor  on  which  the  button 
has  been  pushed,  this  service  being  arranged  so  that 
only  "up"  passengers  are  served  and  receive  signals 
on  the  upward  passage  of  the  car,  and  the  "down" 
passengers  when  the  car  is  traveling  downward. 

Each  of  the  elevator  cars  in  the  Singer  Building 
is  provided  with  a  telephone  and  megaphone,  as 
shown  in  the  illustration,  over  the 
stopping  and  starting  mechanism. 
This  illustration  also  shows,  at  the 
right,  two  folds  of  the  fourfold  door, 
folded  back  into  the  panel.  The 
telephones  are  connected,  through  swinging  cables 
and  wiring,  with  a  switchboard  in  the  Chief  Engi- 
neer's office.  It  has  a  hinged  key  board,  having  a 
capacity  of  fifty  answering  jacks  and  signals,  pro- 

] 


TELEPHONE 
AND 

MEGAPHONE 
SERVICE 


POSITION  INDICATOR  BOARD  FOR  EIGHT  ELEVATORS,  IN 
TOWER  BUILDING 

vided  with  five  cord  circuit,  operator's  telephone  cir- 
cuit  and  one  night  alarm  circuit. 

Telephones  are  also  located  at  the  special  starter's 
station  boxes  in  the  three  sections  of  the  building, 
also  in  the  elevator  machine  rooms  on  the  13th  floor 
Mezzanine,  36th  floor  Mezzanine,  39th  floor  Mezza- 
nine, 4L2d  floor  Mezzanine,  pent  house,  Singer  Exten- 
sion pent  house,  Bourne  Building  pent  house,  Engi- 
neer's room,  boiler  room,  repair  shop  and  engine 
room;  the  equipments  being  the  standard  central 
energy  equipment. 

In  addition  to  the  equipment  described,  a  line 
for  telephone  service  is  run  from  the  telephone 
switchboard  in  the  Engineer's  office  up  through 
the  Tower  to  the  41st  story,  having  Chapman  floor 
boxes  at  each  landing.    The  wires  for  this  service 

[ 


are  connected  into  three  visual  signals  in  the  switch- 
board, and  portable  instruments  provided  with  Chap- 
man plugs  are  furnished  with  the  equipment  for  the 
Chief  Engineer's  service.  This  line  of  jacks  being 
installed  in  order  to  allow  mechanics  working  in  the 
pipe  hatch  back  of  the  elevators  to  have  communica- 
tion with  the  Chief  Engineer's  office.  With  the  tele- 
phone system  is  furnished  two  sets  of  Helios  storage 
batteries  of  ten  cells,  each  having  a  capacity  of  8 
amperes. 

The  megaphones  in  each  car  consist  of  a  powerful 
transmitter  with  horn  extension.  These  megaphones 
arc  connected  through  swinging  cables  and  fixed 
wires  with  the  starter's  stations  in  the  respective 
sections  of  the  building.  A  special  starter's  box  in 
each  section  is  arranged  with  a  series  of  keys  so 
that  communication  can  be  had  by  means  of  the 
starter's  telephones  with  either  the  Chief  Engineer's 
office  and  through  the  switchboard  to  any  station  on 
that  equipment,  <>r  by  other  keys  he  can  communicate 
any  message  or  instructions  he  may  desire  to  anyone 
or  all  of  the  operators  in  the  cars;  the  megaphone 
system  being  arranged  so  that  the  operators  cannot 
talk  back.  This  equipment  tonus  a  very  valuable  ad- 
junct in  the  equipment  of  the  building,  enabling  the 
Chief  Engineer  or  any  of  those  engaged  in  the  service 
to  communicate  directly  with  the  parties  interested. 

Power  for  operating  the  signal  service,  the  bell  ser- 
vice in  the  building  and  for  charging  storage  batteries, 
is  furnished  through  a  bell  switch- 
board placed  in  the  engine  room, 
power  for  which  is  supplied  by 
four  Diehl  type  "E"  No.  4  Motor 
Generators,  all  operating  from  a 
240-volt  circuit.  Two  of  these  supply  power  at  75 
amperes,  15  volts  on  secondary  circuit  and  two  at  100 
amperes,  15  volts. 

The  switchboard  is  supplied  with  Weston  volt  and 
ammeters,  with  a  four-point  switch  and  shunts  for 
testing  purposes  for  each.  The  board  is  also  pro- 
vided with  a  battery  charging  rheostat  having  a  capac- 
ity of  c25  amperes  and  sufficient  resistance  to  permit 
charging  a  single  Helios  cell  of  8  amperes  operating 
on  a  15-volt  generator  circuit.  Further,  with  switches 
to  operate  the  electroplating  system,  if  desired,  also 
to  operate  bells,  phonographs  or  other  special  services 
in  the  building.  All  switches  are  "  back-of-board" 
type  using  enclosed  fuses.  The  Shunt  Field  Regu- 
lators and  motor  starting  switch  are  the  Cutler 
Hammer  "back-of-board"  type.  The  switchboard 
is  Italian  marble,  supported  on  copper  pedestals. 

50  ] 


ELECTRIC 
POWER  FOR 
SPECIAL 
SERVICE 


AUTOMATIC 
OPERATION 
OF  ELEVATOR 
DOORS 


Each  of  the  elevator  openings  throughout  the 
building  is  provided  with  a  pneumatic  door  opener 
and  closer  of  a  new  and  unique 
design,  the  special  feature  of  which 
is  a  differential  action,  giving  the 
maximum  power  at  the  point  of 
opening,  also  at  the  point  of  closing, 
and  minimum  use  of  air.  Its  slowest  speeds  are  at 
the  points  of  opening  and  closing  and  the  maximum 
speed  of  opening  or  closing  is  at  the  halfway  point. 

Another  feature  of  the  device  is  that  it  has  a 
positive  lock  when  open  or  closed,  thus  giving  abso- 
lute assurance  that  the  door  cannot  be  opened  from 
the  landing  without  the  proper  instrument  for  operat- 
ing the  valve  in  the  hatch.  These  devices  are  oper- 
ated through  a  cam  attached  to  the  top  of  the  elevator, 
operated  by  foot  treadle  in  the  car.  The  air  which 
operates  this  device  is  furnished  by  a  Clayton  Air 
Compressor,  at  30  pounds  pressure,  located  in  the  en- 
gine room.  The  air  before  reaching  the  door  opened 
and  closed  is  passed  through  a  mechanical  arrange- 
ment whereby  a  certain  amount  of  lubricant  is  car- 
ried forward,  thus  insuring  the  automatic  lubrication 
of  the  devices  at  all  times. 

An  especial  feature  of  this  equipment  is  <the 
pneumatic  door  opener  and  closer  on  the  ground  and 
first  Mezzanine  floors,  where  the  doors  themselves  are 
solid  bronze,  four  panels,  folding  type.  These  doors 
are  very  heavy  and  the  device  succeeds  in  opening 
from  a  straight  line  position  and  closing  to  a  straight 
line  position. 

In  the  Chief  Engineer's  office  there  are  five  8- 
inch  Electrical  Time  Recorders,  made  by  the  Bristol 
Manufacturing  Co.,  and  mounted 
on  a  white  Italian  marble  board. 
These  instruments  are  connected  to 
the  five  generating  sets  in  the  power  plant  for  record- 
ing their  time  of  operation. 

As  a  supplementary  equipment  to  the  position 
indicator  board  in  the  Chief  Engineer's  office,  there 
are  small  lamps  operated  from  the 
various  machine  rooms  showing  the 
Chief  Engineer  where  the  employees 
are  located.  Each  circuit  breaker 
on  the  electric  elevator  control  in 
the  various  machine  rooms  are  connected  with  mini- 
ature lights  installed  on  part  of  this  board  so  that 
the  Chief  Engineer  may  know  which  circuit  breaker 
in  the  group  is  open. 

This  installation  was  made  by  the  Elevator  Repair 
and  Supply  Company  of  New  York. 

[ 


ELECTRIC  TIME 
RECORDER 


CIRCUIT 
BREAKER  AND 
EMPLOYEES' 
INDICATOR 


ELEVATOR  FRONTS 

The  elevator  fronts  for  the  2d  to  40th  floors  in- 
clusive, and  for  the  shuttle  elevator  36th  to  39th  floors, 
were  furnished  and  erected  by  the  Hecla  Iron  Works, 
manufacturers  of  architectural  bronze  and  ironwork, 
North  Eleventh  and  Berry  Streets,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
The  doors  are  twofold,  arranged  to  slide  back  of 
a  standing  leaf,  so  that  when  they  are  closed  the 
front  consists  of  three  panels,  as  shown  by  the  il- 
lustration. 

Both  doors  and  standing  leaves  are  constructed 
with  wrought  iron  frames.  Each  is  divided  into  an 
upper  and  a  lower  panel.  The  lower  panels  are  filled 
in  with  No.  12  B.  &  S.  gauge  sheet  iron,  perfectly  flat 
and  smooth,  secured  into  place  with  moldings. 

The  wrought  iron  grillework  is  ornamented  with 
cast-brass  rosettes,  spaced  at  regular  intervals,  as 
shown  on  the  illustration.  As  all  the  ironwork  is 
finished  in  dull  black,  the  contrast  between  it  and  the 
brass  rosettes  is  very  effective  and  pleasing. 


51] 


COLL.  US 


ORNAMENTAL  BRONZE  AND  MARBLE  WORK 


THE  beauty  of  combining  bronze  and  marble 
was  known  to  the  earliest  workers  in  these 
materials,  extensive  use  being  made  of  them 
to  enrich  their  temples  of  worship  and  the  costly 
palaces  of  their  kings. 

Ancient  records  tell  of  the  lavish  use  of  bronze  in 
these  buildings,  and  the  ruins  of  ancient  cities  still 
show  traces  of  this  early  magnificence  in  interior 
decoration, 

1  nat  the  art  of  bronze  working  should,  so  early 
in  the  world's  history,  have  attained  such  a  high 
degree  of  excellence  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  con- 
sidering that  "it  is  one  of  the  earliest  of  the  arts,  the 
age  of  bronze,  in  fact,  beginning  at  a  time  that  ante- 
dates the  record  of  authentic  history,  following  the 
age  of  stone,  in  which  the  history  of  primitive  man  is 
veiled  in  mvsterv. 

It  is  only  in  recent  years  that  ornamental  bronze 
has  been  made  in  this  comparatively  new  country, 
but  we  are  now  surpassing  the  ancients  in  the  splen- 
dor of  the  interiors  of  our  buildings  as  we  have  already 
surpassed  them  in  size;  and  the  use  of  bronze  for 


interior  decoration  is  again  finding  due  appreciation. 
In  the  last  decade  especially  the  finest  ornamental 
bronze  of  domestic  manufacture  has  been  used,  and 
lavish  use  lias  also  been  made  of  fine  marble. 

Nowhere,  however,  in  recent  work  has  greater 
advantage  been  taken  of  the  possibilities  of  the  en- 
richment of  marble  by  the  use  of  decorative  bronze 
than  in  the  Singer  Building.  It  is  in  this  use  as  well 
as  for  the  more  strictly  utilitarian  features,  such  as 
doors,  railings,  etc.,  that  is  found  the  great  beauty 
of  the  main  corridor  of  this  building. 

The  marble,  though  beautiful  in  itself,  is  greatly 
improved  by  combination  with  the  bronze,  and  it  is 
the  effect  of  this  combination  that  has  given  this 
corridor  the  distinction  which  places  it  a  step  in 

advance  of  Other  line  inferiors. 

Entrance  to  the  corridor  is  through  a  bronze 
doorway  of  graceful  grille  construction.  The  design 
consists  of  bars  and  scrolls,  the  transom  carrying  a. 
clock  framed  in  finely  modeled  ornamentation.  The 
doorway  is  24  feet  high  by  13  feet  wide,  and  contains 
more  than  four  tons  of  bronze.  This  bronze  work 
and  all  other  ornamental  bronze  work  in  the  building 
is  from  the  foundry  of  J  no.  Williams,  Inc.,  New  York. 

On  the  marble  columns  and  walls  in  the  main 
corridor  there  were  used  more  than  3, GOO  lineal  feet 
of  cast  bronze  ornamented  molding,  also  eighty  me- 
dallions, each  bearing  the  trade-mark  of  The  Singer 
Manufacturing  Company. 

Other  notable  features  are  the  bronze  fourfold 
elevator  doors  and  transoms,  main  stair  railings  and 
balcony,  railings,  doors  to  the  office,  two  bracket 
lanterns,  one  on  either  side  of  the  main  entrance, 
bronze  master-clock  on  main  stairs  in  lobby  and  the 
bronze  directory  frames.  Altogether,  the  firm  of 
Jno.  Williams,  I nc,  has  installed  in  this  building  more 
than  7.3. (iOO  pounds,  or  nearly  38  tons  of  ornamental 
cast  bronze.  The  intrinsic  value  of  this  metal  is 
enhanced  many  times  by  reason  of  the  expensive 
nature  of  the  labor  of  artists  and  artisans  expended 
upon  it  in  its  manufacture.  In  work  of  this  charac- 
ter, before  a  pound  is  cast,  costly  models  must  be 
made.  The  castings  from  these  are  finished  by  hand 
chasing  and  the  parts  are  fitted  together  with  an  ex- 
actitude not  excelled  in  any  other  mechanical  art,  the 
completed  work  being  of  the  highest  order  of  work- 
manship. The  color  is  of  the  rich  natural  hue  of 
bronze,  no  artificial  coloring  or  "patine"  being  used. 

This  richness  of  color  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the 


WEST  END  OF  MAIN  CORRIDOR 


alloy  used  is  the  United  States  Government  Standard, 
90  per  cent,  of  pure  copper  and  10  per  cent,  of  tin 
and  zinc.  This  color  will  mellow  slightly  with  time, 
but  will  practically  be  as  everlasting  in  tone  as  the 
colors  in  the  marble;  hence,  so  long  as  this  building 
stands  the  rich  beauty  of  this  interior  will  exist  in 
its  present  form  to  gladden  the  eye  of  the  critical 
beholder. 


MARBLE 


The  first  thing  that  impresses  the  visitor  upon 
entering  the  Singer  Building  is  the  artistic  charm  of 
the  vista  which  stretches  away  from  the  entrance, 
through  the  main  corridor,  to  the  bronze  clock  at 
the  rear.  This  delightful  view  is  bounded  its  entire 
length  on  either  side  by  massive  marble  piers,  and 
the  whole  effect  is  one  of  regal  richness. 

But  it  is  only  when  the  details  of  the  decorations 
are  examined  that  one  fully  realizes  the  blended 
beauties  here  displayed.  A  wealth  of  delicate  tints 
and  pleasing  colors  appeals  to  the  artistic  sense  with 
irresistible  force,  without  a  discordant  note  to  mar 
the  general  harmony. 

To  the  composition  of  this  attractive  picture 
sunny  Italy  has  contributed  of  her  choicesl  products. 
Every  grand  pier  in  the  two  rows  is  faced  with 
Pavonazzo  marble — the  finest  and  most  beautiful 
marble  in  the  world — set  in  a  fitting  frame  of  si  I 
ver-gray  Montarenti  Sienna,  while  the  corners  are 
trimmed  with  beaded  bronze.  The  Pavonazzo  mar- 
ble was  selected  with  extreme  care  and  prepared  with 
expert  skill.  No  block  was  accepted  which  was  of 
too  dark  a  shade  or  had  stronger  markings  than  would 
harmonize  perfectly  with  the  light  color  scheme. 
This  necessitated  the  discarding  of  many  otherwise 
perfect  blocks,  but  the  splendid  result  amply  justi- 
fies such  strict  requirements. 

The  same  material,  revealing  artistic  Nature  in 
her  happiest  mood,  is  used  in  the  wall  finish  and  the 
door  and  elevator  trimmings.  The  effect  obtained 
in  the  wall  panels  and  tympanums,  in  which  the 
pieces  are  matched  with  extreme  care,  being  par- 
ticularly striking. 

Surrounding  the  upper  portion  of  the  corridor 
are  bronze-trimmed  balconies;  at  the  tops  of  the 
grand  piers  are  bronze  medallions  bearing  the  Singer 
monogram,  while  overhead  in  the  series  of  domes  that 
compose  the  ceiling  are  set  circular  pieces  of  rippled 
glass  through  wdiieh  the  light  from  hundreds  of  electric 
lights  is  gently  diffused  throughout  the  corridor. 

[54 


At  the  rear,  stairs  of  fine  Italian  veined  marble 
lead  up  to  the  bronze  clock  on  the  first  landing,  where 
the  stairway  divides  into  two  flights,  leading  to  either 
side  of  the  building. 

The  production  of  the  superb  effect  presented  by 
the  main  corridor  of  the  Singer  Building  is  a  monu- 
mental achievement — a  tribute  both  to  the  sunlit 
hills  of  Italy  and  the  artistic  efficiency  of  American 
craftsmanship. 

The  marble  work  throughout  the  Singer  Build- 
ing was  all  done  by  the  firm  of  Batterson  &  Eisclc. 
This  firm  has  unlimited  resources  for  securing  the 
finest  quality  of  material,  employs  only  artisans  of 
the  highest  skill,  and  owns  a  manufacturing  plant 
equipped  with  the  most  effective  machinery  that 
human  ingenuity  can  devise.  Its  plant  is  located  at 
Edgewater,  N.  J.,  on  the  Hudson  River,  opposite 
General  Grant's  Tomb,  where  it  occupies  an  area 
equal  to  100  city  lots.  It  has  executed  the  marble 
work  on  many  of  the  most  important  buildings 
throughout  the  United  States. 


TILE  WORK 


The  tile  work  throughout  the  building  was  exe- 
cuted by  Herman  Petri,  No.  101  East  Seventeenth 
Street,  New  York  City,  and  is  an  important  feature 
of  its  interior  finish. 

in  the  space  occupied  by  The  Safe  Deposit  Com- 
pany of  New  York,  under  the  Broadway  and  Lib- 
erty Street  sidewalks,  the  side  walls  as  well  as  the 
walls  in  the  passages  out  of  the  main  entrance,  the 
ladies'  rooms  and  directors'  offices,  are  all  tiled  in  a 
unique  and  pleasing  manner,  an  attractive  effect  hav- 
ing been  obtained  through  paneling  the  entire  work. 
Colored  tiles  mark  the  borders  of  the  panels,  the  body 
tiles  having  a  rich  cream  or  ivory  noncrazing  mat 
finish.  All  are  the  product  of  the  American  En- 
caustic Tiling  Co.,  Ltd. 

These  tiles  have  also  been  extensively  used  in  the 
coupon  rooms,  where  they  are  subjected  to  a  severe 
overhead  light. 

The  floors  of  the  basement,  engine  rooms  and 
passages  are  covered  with  a  rich  red  unglazed  floor 
tile;  while  the  barber  shop  and  the  toilet  rooms 
throughout  the  building  have  floors  of  alabaster 
white  vitreous  ceramic  tile,  all  manufactured  by  the 
above-mentioned  concern. 

The  wTalls  of  the  Engineer's  office,  the  barber  shop 
and  the  33d  floor  dressing  rooms  are  tiled  with 
glazed  tile  of  American  manufacture. 

] 


CENTER  OF  MAIN  CORRIDOR.  LOOKING  SOUTH 


PLUMBING 

SINGER  TOWER,  SINGER  EXTENSION  AND  BOURNE  ALTERATION  BUILDINGS 


TWO  WORTHINGTON  HORIZONTAL  DUPLEX  1'IKK  IT  MI'S:  CAPACITY  1.000  GALLONS  I'KU  MINUTE 


THE  buildings  are  supplied  with  water  through 
five  street  connections  two  taken  from  the 
Broadway  main  and  three  from  Liberty 
Street.  Three  of  these  mains  (one  from  Broadway 
and  two  from  Liberty  Street)  are  combined  into  one 
header  after  passing  through  Worthington  meters 
and  connected  and  by-passed  to  water  jackets  of 
ammonia  coils,  having  sixteen  1^-inch  valved  con- 
nections on  supplies  and  returns,  so  arranged  that 
any  coil  can  be  shut  oh"  for  repairs  without  inter- 
rupting the  operation  of  the  ice  plant. 

After  passing  through  these  coils  (situated  in  the 
old  Singer  Building)  the  water  is  run  through  a  tunnel 


to  a  7-inch  Croton  water  header  in  the  Tower,  to 
which  the  remaining  two  mains  also  are  connected. 
From  this  header  the  water  passes  through  two 
specially  designed  horizontal  Scaife  filters  into  an 
8-inch  header  from  which  the  supplies  to  two  suction 
tanks  (combined  capacity  1  ().()()()  gallons)  are  taken, 
controlled  by  "Ford"  float  valves. 

The  outlets  from  the  suction  tanks  are  collected 
into  an  8-inch  header  and  run  through  a  tunnel  to 
the  high  and  low  pressure  house  pumps  and  fire 
pumps. 

The  pumping  plant  consists  of  two  high  pressure, 
compound,  direct  acting  duplex  Worthington  steam 


56  ] 


house  pumps;  two  similar  low  pressure  house  pumps  two  low  pressure  pumps  supply  water  to  four  house 

and  two  high  pressure  fire  pumps.    The  details  of  tanks  on  the  13th  Mezzanine  floor,  of  a  combined 

these  pumps  are  given  in  the  introduction  to  the  capacity  of  6,000  gallons,  all  cross  connected  for 

chapter  on  Mechanical  Plant.  house  supply  and  fire  purposes. 

These  six  pumps  can  all  be  used  for  fire  purposes  All  water  used  from  the  1 3th  floor  to  the  basement, 

combined  with  the  Fire  Department  steamers.    The  in  the  four  buildings,  is  supplied  from  these  tanks. 


[•57  ] 


The  high  pressure  pumps  feed  three  house  tanks  on 
the  27th  floor,  of  a  combined  capacity  of  5,000  gal- 
lons, one  on  the  39th  floor  of  7,000  gallons  capacity, 
and  one  on  the  43d  floor  of  1,500  gallons  capacity, 
through  one  pump  line. 

The  27th-floor  tanks  supply  from  the  26th  story 
down  to  and  including  the  fixtures  in  the  13th  Mez- 
zanine story  and  the  roof  houses  of  the  Singer 
Building  and  Bourne  Building. 

The  tank  on  the  39th  floor  supplies  from  the  35th 
to  the  27th  stories  inclusive;  connections  are  also 
taken  from  this  tank  to  supply  the  high  pressure  hoi 
water  and  ice  water  systems. 

The  43d-floor  tank  supplies  the  fixtures  from  the 
39th  to  the  36th  stories  inclusive. 

Owing  to  the  wind  bracing  in  the  steel  construc- 
tion, these  nine  house  tanks  had  to  be  set  into  place 
directly  after  the  floor  framing  under  them  had  been 
erected. 

Seven  of  these  tanks  were  hoisted  into  position, 
while  two  of  them,  those  for  the  39th  and  43d  floors, 
had  to  be  assembled  in  place.  The  43d-floor  tank 
has  a  12-inch  sleeve  passing  through  it  to  accom- 
modate the  flag  pole,  which  extends  down  to  this 
floor. 

There  are  five  0-inch  standpipes  extending  from 
the  basement  to  the  13th  floor  and  one  each  from  the 
14th  and  43d  floors,  with  over  one  hundred  2\-inch  fire 
hose  connections  in  the  combined  buildings.  There 
are  also  hose  connections  on  the  roofs  of  the  Singer 
Building  and  Bourne  Building,  from  which  water 
could  be  played  on  the  adjoining  buildings.  Each 
of  these  fire  outlets  has  75  feet  of  hose,  which,  to- 
gether with  the  valve,  rack  and  nozzle,  are  placed 
in  specially  designed  boxes  set  into  the  walls  flush 
with  the  finished  trim,  thus  offering  no  obstruction 
in  the  stairways  and  corridors,  as  fire  appliances 
usually  do. 

There  are  siamese  connections  for  the  Fire  De- 
partment steamers  to  attach  to — three  on  the  Broad- 
way side  and  two  on  Liberty  Street. 

All  office  basins  throughout  the  Tower  are  sup- 
plied with  cold,  hot  and  ice  water.  There  are  two 
hot  water  heaters,  one  for  the  high  pressure  system, 
tested  to  500  pounds,  and  one  for  the  low  pressure 
system,  tested  to  250  pounds. 

The  high  pressure  hot  water  system  is  supplied 


from  the  39th-floor  tank  through  a  4-inch  down  supply 
running  to  the  hot  water  heater.  From  there  a  3-inch 
hot  water  riser  is  run  up  to  the  13th  Mezzanine  floor 
where  it  branches  horizontally  on  the  ceiling  and  feeds 
eight  risers  extending  up  to  the  39th  floor,  supplying 


[58] 


lavatories  and  private  toilets.  These  eight  risers  are 
collected  into  a  3-inch  return,  which  is  carried  back 
to  the  heater  in  the  basement,  a  drop  of  about  550 
feet,  to  insure  good  circulation.  Branches  are  taken 
off  this  pipe  to  supply  the  public  toilets  on  the  35th 
to  the  14th  floors  inclusive. 


The  hot  water  heaters  are  supplied  with  live  and 
exhaust  steam,  and  controlled  by  Davis  and  Roesch 
regulators. 

There  is  a  high  pressure  ice  water  system  for  the 
Tower.  It  is  supplied  from  the  39th-floor  tank,  and 
filtered  a  second  time  by  being  passed  through  a 


F/urn  bin?  Section- 
Sinper  0u! /ding  Qddrfion 


[59] 


specially  constructed  Loom  is  Manning  filter,  tested 
to  500  pounds.  Leaving  this  it  flows  to  the  ice  water 
cooling  tanks,  and  thence  to  the  ice  water  circulating 
pumps  which  force  it  up  to  the  39th  floor  through 
four  risers,  and  return  it  through  four  circulating 
lines  back  to  the  cooling  tanks.  The  ice  water  is 
thus  circulated  continuously  and  its  volume  replen- 
ished from  the  39th-story  tank.  The  ice  water  piping 
is  covered  with  a  cork  insulation  1^  inches  thick. 

All  cold  and  ice  water  piping  subjected  to  ex- 
cessive pressure,  on  account  of  the  great  height  of  the 
building,  is  made  of  extra  strong  galvanized  wrought 
iron  pipe.  On  the  plumbing  section  drawing  are  in- 
dicated the  large  soils,  wastes  and  vents  which  had  to 
be  installed,  and  the  method  of  connecting  them  to- 
gether at  the  top. 

The  contract  included  the  furnishing  and  setting 
of  about  750  new  plumbing  fixtures,  with  their  ac- 
cessories. The  method  of  concealing  all  piping 
about  the  office  basins,  and  making  the  valves 
accessible  by  means  of  metal  doors  placed  under  the 
fixtures,  as  shown  in  the  cut  of  the  fixtures  on  page 
60,  is  of  particular  interest. 


PLUMBING,  BOURNE  BUILDING 
ADDITION 

The  plumbing  work  in  connection  with  the  Bourne 
Building  Addition  is  a  splendid  example  of  modern 
up-to-date  plumbing.  Great  care  has  been  taken  in 
the  selection  of  the  various  materials  and  fixtures  and 
mode  of  installing  them.  All  underground  piping  is 
of  extra  heavy  cast  iron,  each  area  line,  leader  and 
floor  drain  is  properly  trapped,  each  trap  having 
cleanout  screws  of  extra  heavy  cast  brass  accessibly 
placed.  All  leader,  soil  and  vent  lines  above  the 
basement  and  grade  are  of  extra  strong  galvanized 
iron  pipe,  and  supported  by  clamp  hangers  of  the 
most  recent  pattern.  The  fresh  air  for  the  sewerage 
system  is  supplied  by  a  6-inch  "  Perfect"  fresh  air  in- 
take, extending  to  the  open  air.  The  floor  drains  are 
of  bronze,  with  removable  strainers.  The  area  and 
floor  drains  are  connected  to  a  "sump"  pit,  which  is 
automatically  emptied  by  a  motor-driven  submerged 
pump  specially  built  for  the  purpose. 


The  fire  protection  for  the  building  is  most 
thorough  and  complete.  It  consists  of  6-inch  extra 
heavy  galvanized  standpipe,  extending  from  a 
siamese  connection  6  inches  in  diameter  with  two 
3-inch  outlets,  Fire  Department  pattern,  to  the  main 
house  tank  system,  and  has  at  all  times  a  direct  pres- 
sure of  300  pounds  to  the  square  inch.  This  standpipe 
is  also  cross  connected  to  the  fire  and  house  pumps 
in  the  basement.  On  each  floor  there  is  an  equip- 
ment consisting  of  a  hose  reel  containing  100  feet  of 
2^-inch  best  linen  hose  controlled  by  a  2^-inch  red 
metal  fire  valve,  with  nozzle,  etc.,  complete.  This 
part  of  the  work  has  the  approval  of  the  Fire  Depart- 
ment and  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters  of  New  York 
City. 

Each  stack  of  fixtures  is  supplied  with  hot  and 
cold  water  and  a  return  circulation.  The  cold  water 
supplies  are  of  extra  strong  galvanized  iron  pipe  and 
the  hot  water  of  soft  annealed  brass  pipe.  Where 
the  least  danger  from  frost  or  atmospheric  con- 
densation exists  the  supply  pipes  are  covered  in  the 
most  approved  manner,  and  are  canvased,  ringed 
and  painted. 

The  fixtures  are  all  class  "A"  and  as  selected 
by  the  architect.  There  were  installed  9  water- 
closets,  107  basins  and  1  shower  bath.  The  words 
"J.  L.  Mott  Iron  Works"  stamped  on  each  of  these 
fixtures  guarantee  them  to  be  of  the  highest  quality 
and  efficiency. 

The  closets  are  of  the  siphon-jet  type  with  "  Sim- 
plex" valves.  The  urinals  are  the  "Metropolitan" 
with  "Integral"  traps  and  "Presto"  push-button 
flush  valves,  the  basins  principally  of  the  "  Claremont " 
pattern  with  integral  back  and  "Hygeia"  wastes. 
The  slop  sinks  are  of  "Imperial"  porcelain  pro- 
tected by  pail  guards.  All  metal  work  in  connection 
with  these  fixtures  is  of  red  metal,  heavily  nickel 
plated. 

Sufficient  gas-fitting  has  been  supplied  to  light 
the  basement  toilet  rooms  and  the  corridors  in  the 
event  of  failure  of  the  electric  plant. 

The  work  has  been  executed  and  installed  in 
the  most  thorough  and  workmanlike  manner,  under 
the  personal  supervision  of  the  plumbing  contractor, 
Chas.  H.  Darmstadt,  No.  352  Wrest  Forty-third 
Street,  New  York  City. 


[61  ] 


PLUMBING  FIXTURES,   SINGER  ADDITION 


ONE  of  the  most  important  questions  to  be  set- 
tled by  the  architect,  owners  and  engineers  in 
connection  with  the  mechanical  equipment  of 
the  Singer  Addition,  was  that  of  plumbing  fixtures. 

It  was  felt  that  a  building  of  so  unique  and  dis- 
tinctive a  type  deserved  in  this,  as  in  other  lines,  the 
best  that  money  could  buy.  After  a  most  careful 
examination  of  the  fixtures  of  various  manufacturers, 
it  was  finally  decided  that  those  designed  by  the 
Henry  Iluber  Company  (now  Federal- 1 1 uber  Com- 
pany) should  be  installed. 

These  embodied  all  the  elements  of  style,  dura- 
bility, cleanliness  and  economy  in  installation  and 
operation  that  those  interested  desired,  and  work- 
ing tests  have  completely  proved  the  wisdom  of  this 
choice. 

The  lavatories  vary  in  type  to  suit  conditions,  but 
are  all  of  the  best  quality  vitreous  china,  with  special 
center  leg  and  wall  supports  and  are  supplied  with 
hot,  cold  and  ice  water  by  means  of  self-closing, 
push-button  controls.  The  majority  of  the  lavatories 
are  of  the  design  illustrated  herew  ith  and  the  con- 
nections, with  the  exception  of  the  trap,  are  all 
concealed  within  a  specially  designed  boxed  back. 
This  fixture  (copyrighted  as  "The  Singer  Lavatory") 
is  made  complete  with  a  heavy  nickel-plated  cast 
brass  attached  soap  dish  and,  in  the  offices,  plate  glass 
mirrors  with  nickel-plated  brass  frame;  glass  shelves 
and  glass  towel  bars  are  added. 

The  water-closets  are  of  vitreous  china,  of  heavy 
design,  with  sanitary  rim  and  base,  and  arc  attached 
to  the  waste  pipes  with  the  Iluber  Special  Sanitary 
Screw  Connection. 

Heavy  seats  of  quartered  oak,  carefully  joined 
and  highly  polished,  are  attached  to  the  closet  bow  ls 
with  heavy  nickel-plated  brass  hinges.  A  thorough 
and  economical  flush  is  obtained  by  means  of  the 
Huber  Automatic  Slow  Closing  Flush  Valve. 

Huber's  siphon-jet  vitreous  china  urinals  are  in- 
stalled and  these  are  flushed  by  means  of  a  smaller 
type  of  the  flush  valve  used  with  the  water-closets. 

Heavy  vitreous  slop  sinks  are  installed  conven- 
iently throughout  the  building.  This  fixture  was  as 
carefully  selected  and  equipped  as  those  previ- 
ously mentioned;  and  with  large  waterway  slop  sink 
faucets,  minimizing  the  time  consumed  in  drawing 
water;  a  heavy  brass  pail  guard,  to  prevent  breakage; 
and  a  full  sweep  trap  standard  that  cannot  become 
clogged,  it  is  as  complete  as  its  uses  require. 

[  02 


The  extreme  height  of  this  building  made  the 
water-pressure  problem  a  most  serious  one.  Water 
tanks  are  placed  on  the  14th,  27th,  39th  and  43d 
floors,  and  absolutely  to  insure  an  equalizing  of  the 
pressure  at  the  fixtures  all  of  them  are  equipped  w  ith 
the  Huber  Company's  Gem  Reducing  Valve. 

In  addition  to  the  fixtures  mentioned,  a  number 
of  special  bath  tubs,  needle  baths  and  showers  are 
installed,  perfecting  the  plumbing  equipment  of  this 
most  modern  office  building. 


J 


HEATING  AND  VENTILATING 


THE  building  is  heated  by  a  double-pipe  over- 
head-fed vacuum  return  steam  system,  with 
automatic  thermostatic  temperature  regula- 
tion. Exhaust  steam  from  the  engines  is  used  for 
the  heating,  supplemented  by  live  steam  supplied 
through  a  pressure-reducing  valve. 

Practically,  the  entire  building  is  heated  by  direct, 
pressed  steel  radiators.  In  the  important  rooms, 
such  as  the  north  banking  room  in  the  1st  story, 
and  the  principal  offices  of  the  Company  in  the  33d 
and  34th  stories,  these  radiators  are  enclosed  in 
ornamental  bronze  screens. 

The  main  corridor  on  the  ground  floor,  also  the 
safe  deposit  vaults  in  the  basement,  are  heated  by 
an  indirect  system,  the  heating  surface  of  which  is 
located  in  a  central  stack  room  in  the  basement. 

The  fresh  air  supply  for  this  indirect  system  is 
obtained  from  the  large  light  court  at  the  rear  of  the 
Bourne  Building  and  Bourne  Building  Addition. 
The  air  is  drawn  through  a  water  air-washing  device 
and  a  tempering  coil  by  means  of  direct  connected 
electrical  blowers,  after  which  it  is  forced  through  the 
stack  chamber  and  ultimately  delivered  into  the 
rooms  through  galvanized  iron  ducts  and  ormanental 
bronze  registers.  All  parts  of  this  system  are  ther- 
mostatically controlled. 

The  piping  system  for  supplying  the  radiation 
throughout  the  Tower  consists  of  a  12-inch  riser,  ex- 
tending from  the  basement,  back  of  elevator  No.  6, 
to  the  39th  floor.  Here  it  supplies  a  horizontal 
main  from  which  are  fed  risers  ascending  to  the 
45th  and  descending  to  the  13th  Mezzanine  floor; 
the  latter  have  expansion  loops  in  the  31st  and  21st 
stories. 

The  return  risers,  corresponding  to  the  above, 
fall  to  the  13th  Mezzanine,  where  they  are  collected 
into  one  4-inch  return  riser,  extending  down  to  the 
basement,  behind  elevator  No.  6. 

The  lower  part  of  the  building  is  supplied  by 
a  10-inch  riser  extending  to  the  13th  Mezzanine 
floor,  where  it  branches  horizontally  and  feeds  a 
number  of  down  supply  risers.  The  return  risers 
run  parallel  to  the  supplies.  Each  has  one  expansion 
loop.  The  main  risers  have  expansion  slip  joints, 
the  12-inch  riser  having  two.  All  risers  are  valved 
independently. 

Most  of  the  radiator  connections  are  run  under 
the  floors  with  galvanized  iron  covers  over  them. 
Practically,  all  radiators  are  thermostatically  con- 

[  63 


trolled  on  the  supplies  and  all  have  vacuum  valves 
on  the  returns. 

All  piping  is  covered  with  85  per  cent,  car- 
bonate of  magnesia,  canvas  jacketed,  except  radi- 
ator connections  under  floors,  which  have  air-cell 
coverings. 

All  toilet  rooms  are  ventilated  through  registers, 
into  shafts  extending  upward,  from  which  the  air 
is  exhausted  by  means  of  direct- 
connected  electrical  fans,  the  princi- 
pal one  of  which  is  70  inches  in  diameter,  located  on 
the  39th  floor. 

The  heated  air  from  the  engineering  department 
is  exhausted  by  means  of  a  large  fan  delivering  to  a 
court  and  the  fresh  air  to  supply 


VENTILATING 


VENTILATION 
OF  MECHANICAL 
EQUIPMENT 


the  air  exhausted  is  drawn,  by  simi- 
lar fans,  from  light  space  in  rear  of 


building.  At  the  intake  of  this 
duct  there  is  a  corrugated  iron  and  glass  house,  con- 
taining a  Webster  Air  Washer  and  Humidifier,  which 
presents  novel  features  of  construction. 

The  air  to  be  washed,  humidified  or  cooled  passes 
first  into  the  spray  chamber  where  it  is  thoroughly 
washed  and  cleansed  by  passing  through  from  two 
to  four  sheets  of  water,  having  a  combination  "rain- 
and-spray"  effect. 

The  "  rain-and-spray  "  effects,  produced  by  special 
patented  copper  heads,  were  selected  because  it  was 
found  that  sheets  of  rain  more  effectually  removed 
dust  and  dirt  from  the  air,  whereas  sheets  of  finely 
divided  spray,  on  account  of  the  more  intimate  con- 
tact possible  between  the  air  and  water,  had  a  greater 
cooling  effect. 

After  leaving  the  spray  chamber  the  air  passes 
through  the  eliminator,  where  all  entrained  water  or 
unevaporated  moisture  is  entirely  removed,  thence 
through  to  the  ventilating  system  into  the  building. 

The  special  feature  of  the  Webster  Eliminator  is 
the  use  of  horizontal  baffle  plates,  superior  to  the 
various  vertical  types  generally  used,  in  that  any 
entrained  water  deposited  upon  the  baffle  plates  is 
carried  off  at  once  horizontally  to  a  gutter  and  re- 
turned to  the  water  tank,  thus  preventing  re-contact 
with  the  lower  strata  of  air  passing  through  the 
eliminator. 

A  water  tank  or  sump  contains  the  spray  water, 
which  is  circulated  at  from  2  to  20  pounds  hydro- 
static pressure  by  means  of  a  centrifugal  pump,  elec- 
trically operated  from  the  main  power  plant. 

] 


TEMPERATURE  REGULATION 


IN  connection  with  the  heating  plant  for  the 
Singer  Building,  a  system  of  automatic  heal 
regulation  has  been  installed  throughout. 

In  every  room  a  thermostat  is  conveniently 
located  which  controls  the  heat  sources  in  the  room 
by  operating  the  valve  on  the  steam  supply  of  the 
radiator  or  radiators.  The  Johnson  System  of  Auto- 
matic Heat  Regulation  was  installed  in  the  old  Singer 
Building  and  later  in  the  Bourne  Building,  and  the 
same  system  has  been  adopted  and  installed  by  the 
Jolinson  Service  Co.  of  Nos.  36  and  38  East  Twen- 
tieth Street,  New  York,  throughout  the  different  sec- 
tions of  the  completed  Singer  Building. 

By  this  system  the  temperature  is  kept  uniform 
during  the  season  in  which  artificial  heat  is  required, 
and  the  different  rooms  can  be  kept  at  different 
temperatures  to  suit  the  desire  and  convenience  of  the 
occupants. 

Compressed  air  is  the  motive  power  that  oper- 
ates, through  the  action  of  thermostats,  the  steam 
valves  on  the  radiators;  the  air  is  generated  by  2 
air  compressors  in  the  basement  and  is  distributed 

[  G4 


by  means  of  a  network  of  piping  to  the  differenl 
thermostats,  and  from  these  to  the  steam  radiator 
valves.  for  tin's  purpose  about  120,000  feet  of 
galvanized  iron  pipe  of  different  sizes  was  used. 

Nearly  1,200  thermostats  are  installed,  and  do 
their  silent  but  efficient  work  for  health,  comfort  and 
economy,  operating  more  than  1,800  valves. 

The  valves  on  the  skylight  coils  are  operated  by 
means  of  pneumatic  push  buttons. 

The  air  used  for  this  system  is  taken  from  the 
outside,  compressed,  then  cooled  and  stored  in  tanks 
located  in  convenient  cold  places,  and  from  there 
passes  through  the  mains,  risers  and  connections 
throughout  the  entire  immense  structure. 

The  advantage  of  temperature  regulation  is 
forcibly  presented  when  it  is  taken  into  consideration 
that  radiating  surfaces  must  of  necessity  be  of  suffi- 
cient capacity  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  cold- 
est weather,  which  occurs  at  short  intervals  during 
the  winter  season,  and  as  a  consequence  it  must 
follow  that  overheating  will  result  unless  the  heating 
surfaces  are  thermostatically  controlled. 

] 


UTILIZING   EXHAUST  STEAM  FOR   HEATING  ACRES   OF   RADIATOR  SURFACE 


THERE  are  about  1,600  steam  radiators  in 
the  Singer  Building.  They  have  a  super- 
ficial area  of  66,234  square  feet,  or  1.52 
acres.  On  a  day  with  the  temperature  at  zero, 
this  surface  will  give  out  17,883,180  heat  units, 
equivalent  to  537  H.P.,  which  means  the  burn- 
ing of  one  ton  of  coal  per  hour,  if  direct  steam 
be  used. 

It  is  possible,  however,  to  use  exhaust  steam  from 
the  engines  and  without  appreciable  "back  pressure" 
to  retard  their  action.  This  is  accomplished  by  the 
Cryer  Return  Line  System,  which  solves  the  problem 
of  circulating  exhaust  steam  for  heating  through 
such  a  large  number  of  radiators  and  for  such  great 
distances  without  back  pressure  on  the  engines. 

This  system  is  very  simple:  it  consists  of  a  Cryer 
valve  placed  on  the  return  end  of  each  radiator, 
connecting  into  the  return  piping,  on  which  a  vacuum 
is  maintained  by  means  of  vacuum  pumps  in  the 

[0 


engine  room.  The  water  of  condensation  and  the 
air  are  drawn  freely  through  the  Cryer  valves  to  the 
vacuum  pumps,  which  discharge  to  an  air-separating 
tank,  where  the  air  is  liberated  and  the  water  placed 
in  condition  to  be  again  used  in  the  boilers. 

The  Cryer  valve  holds  the  steam  in  the  radiators 
until  it  is  condensed,  allowing  only  the  water  and  air 
to  pass  into  the  return  pipe,  distinguishing  absolutely 
between  the  three.  It  contains  no  springs,  floats, 
or  counterweights,  or  any  parts  requiring  adjustment 
or  attention.  In  fact,  it  has  only  one  moving  part, 
which  is  a  heavy  brass  casting. 

The  use  of  this  system  permits  a  circulation 
through  the  radiators  of  exhaust  steam,  exhaust 
supplemented  with  live  steam  or  live  steam  alone, 
without  pressure.  The  radiators  heat  almost  in- 
stantly when  steam  is  turned  on  and  stay  hot  as  long 
as  steam  is  supplied.  The  usual  troubles  due  to 
leaky  and  faulty  air  valves  are  noticeably  absent. 

5  J 


WEBSTER   SYSTEM  OF  CIRCULATING  STEAM  FOR  HEATING  PURPOSES 


THIS  system  was  installed  in  the  original  Singer 
Building,  corner  of  Broadway  and  Liberty 
Street,  in  1898,  or  about  two  years  after  the 
erection  of  that  building. 

The  purpose  was  to  improve  the  gravity  system 
originally  erected  with  the  building. 

The  Webster  System  proved  so  satisfactory  in 
operation  that  it  was  adopted  for  the  Bourne  Build- 
ing, erected  in  1898.  Improvements  in  details  of  the 
Webster  apparatus  since  the  original  installation  have 


been  added  and  the  Webster  System  is  efficiently 
circulating  the  steam  through  all  the  radiators  con- 
tained in  the  buildings  named. 

The  Webster  System  is  also  used  for  heating  the 
Singer  factories  at  South  Bend,  Ind.,  and  Elizabeth- 
port,  N.  J.,  also  the  Singer  factories  in  Canada, 
Scotland  and  Germany,  in  all  of  which  it  has  had  a 
thorough  test  covering  use  during  several  seasons,  and 
has  demonstrated  its  efficiency  in  saving  fuel  and  in 
improved  heating  conditions. 


LIGHTING  FIXTURES 


THE  lighting  fixtures   tliiougliout   all   parts  of 
the  building  were  designed  by  Ernest  Flagg. 
the   architect,   and   executed   by    The  Enos 
Com  pan//  of  New  York  City. 

The  designs  in  the  main  are  simple,  but  of  artistic 
merit,  having  the  added  and  necessary  attribute  of 
being  effective  from  a  utilitarian  standpoint.  This 
basic  idea  governed  even  in  the  designs  of  the  orna- 
mental fixtures.  There  is  no  "straining  for  effect," 
and  the  whole  lighting  plan,  while  particularly  in- 
conspicuous as  part  of  the  general  decorative 
scheme,  produces  the  desired  result — efficient  and 
economical  lighting  without  introducing  discordant 
features. 

The  design  of  the  bracket  illustrated  was  es- 
pecially created  for  the  main  entrance  corridor,  in 
the  style  of  the  French  Renaissance  to  which  the 
decorative  scheme  of  this  part  of  the  building  con- 
forms. The  design  commends  itself  in  that  it  is  par- 
ticularly adapted  to  the  location  and  also  because  the 
mechanical  contrivances  have  been  artistically  con- 
cealed. 

The  lighting  fixtures,  excepting  those  in  the 
main  corridor,  banking  rooms  and  the  Company's 
offices,  are  of  the  commercial  type,  of  unconven- 
tional lines,  particular  care  being  given  to  their 
efficiency  and  structural  strength  in  design  and 
manufacture. 


[  66 


CROWN  SANITARY  FLOORING 


A  N  important  and  novel  feature  in  the  Singer 
/%  Building  is  the  flooring  used  throughout  its 
-X  .A.  new  portions.  At  first  glance  it  appears  to 
be  linoleum,  yet,  after  careful  inspection,  the  bases 
around  the  walls  and  columns  are  found  to  be  neatly 
joined  by  a  coved  connection,  thus  producing  a  con- 
tinuous seamless  floor  and  base. 

This  material  is  plastic  when  applied;  it  is  spread 
upon  the  fireproof  construction  and  carried  up  on 
the  side  wall  to  form  a  base.  It  is  a  beautiful  red 
in  color,  and  as  the  floor  and  base  are  in  one  sheet 
with  a  cove  between  them,  there  is  no  chance  for 
dust  and  dirt  to  accumulate. 

It  is  almost  as  noiseless  as  rubber,  can  be  laid 
y  inch  thick  over  wood  and  can  be  readily  cleansed 
by  the  usual  means. 

It  was  manufactured  and  applied  by  the  Robert 
A.  Keasbey  Co.  of  New  York  City. 

It  is  remarkable  how  evenly  the  work  is  executed, 
in  view  of  the  fact  that  many  craftsmen  were  attend- 
ing to  their  work  about  the  building  after  the  floors 
were  installed. 

To  appreciate  thoroughly  the  beauty  of  this 
flooring  one  should  examine  some  of  the  offices 
occupied  by  the  Singer  Company.  The  simplicity 
of  detail  in  these  rooms  is  very  charming,  the  greatest 
care  having  been  exercised  to  bring  out  a  harmonious 


effect  between  the  wall  colorings  and  the  red  floor- 
ings. This  is  especially  true  of  the  Directors'  Room 
on  the  34th  floor.  Not  only  these  particular  floors, 
but  the  offices  throughout  the  Singer  Addition,  from 
the  ground  to  the  39th  floor;  also  the  Liberty  Street 
Extension,  from  the  8th  to  the  13th  floor,  are  equipped 
with  the  Crown  Flooring,  more  than  200,000  square 
feet  having  been  laid  in  all. 

When  this  immense  floor  space  and  the  important 
part  that  it  necessarily  plays  in  the  construction  of  the 
building  are  considered,  it  is  only  natural  that  a  great 
sense  of  safety  must  be  inspired  in  the  tenants  and 
those  who  continually  use  the  building,  in  the  fact 
that  Crown  Flooring,  in  addition  to  its  solidity  and 
strength  when  set  in  place,  is  absolutely  fireproof. 
The  finish  of  the  floors  is  perhaps  its  most  interesting 
feature  in  that  the  surface  having  been  troweled  to  an 
absolute  level,  nearly  approaches  the  hardness  of  slate 
without  retaining  any  of  the  slippery  qualities  that 
usually  go  with  a  smooth,  even  surface.  There  is  no 
doubt  about  the  importance  of  the  position  in  modern 
construction  that  a  fireproof  and  sanitary  floor,  which 
at  the  same  time  permits  of  pleasing  color  schemes 
and  absolute  comfort  combined  with  a  lack  of  noise, 
must  hold,  and  in  the  construction  of  this  triumph 
in  up-to-date  building,  the  problem  of  the  proper  floor 
has  been  solved  and  perfection  attained. 


MODELING 


THE    modeling   work   for   the   many  beauti- 
ful  and   intricate  ornaments   to  be  found 
throughout  the  Tower  is  deserving  of  par- 
ticular praise. 

The  most  striking  examples  are  the  two  figures 
on  the  master-clock  case  in  the  main  entrance  cor- 
ridor; the  cartouches  and  caps  of  the  marble  columns, 
and  the  cartouches,  brackets  and  other  embellish- 
ments of  this  corridor.  All  this  work  is  far  above 
the  realm  of  commercial  art.  The  column  cap 
cartouches  are  emblematical  of  the  Singer  Com- 
pany's trade-mark,  which  has  been  interwoven  with 
the  architectural  treatment  in  a  very  successful 
manner. 

The  most  prominent  external  ornaments  for  which 

[ 


models  were  made,  are  the  cartouches  and  brackets 
of  the  eight  great  arches  near  the  top  of  the  Tower; 
the  urns,  hip  rolls  and  crestings  on  the  dome,  and  the 
various  ornaments  on  the  lantern  surmounting  the  lat- 
ter. In  addition,  practically  every  ornament  through- 
out the  building  had  a  model  carefully  prepared 
for  it  from  the  architect's  full  size  detail  draw- 
ing. These  models  were  inspected  and  approved  by 
the  architect,  after  which  the  ornaments,  whether 
of  stone,  copper,  marble,  iron,  or  bronze,  were  exe- 
cuted according  to  them. 

The  contract  for  all  the  modeling  (excepting  in 
plaster  and  terra  cotta)  was  in  the  hands  of  Henri  J. 
Scheltgen  &  Co.,  Sculptors,  Decorators  and  Modelers, 
No.  205  East  Forty-fourth  Street,  New  York. 

] 


PLASTERING 


PLASTERING  is  the  surface-forming  part  of 
interior  architecture.  It  is  the  refined  and 
finished  work  which  completes  the  expression 
of  the  art  of  the  architect.  In  the  almost  limitless 
wall  areas  it  serves  the  ends  of  utility,  while  in  the 
decorations  and  beautiful  architectural  enrichments 
its  service  is  wholly  ornamental.  Hanging  from  the 
plain  surfaces,  either  of  plate  glass  smoothness,  sand 
or  stone  finish,  throughout  all  the  various  moldings, 
panelings,  embellishments  and  decorative  pieces  of 
minute  detail  to  the  magnificent  ornamental  domes 
of  the  grand  entrance  corridor,  it  is  the  plastering 
that  everywhere  meets  the  eye  of  the  owner,  the 
tenant,  and  the  visitor,  and  the  impression  is  favora- 
ble, pleasing,  or  disturbing,  according  to  the  quality 
and  perfection  of  the  workmanship.  The  Singer 
Building  has  no  more  conspicuous  or  attractive  feat- 
ure than  is  found  in  the  great  work  of  the  plain  and 
decorative  plastering. 

//.  W.  Miller,  Inc.,  executed  all  of  the  plain  and 
ornamental  plastering  of  the  Singer  Building.  The 
highest  class  ami  finest  quality  of  materials  were  used 
in  every  part  of  the  work.  Mechanics  of  long  ex- 
perience and  special  skill  were  employed  to  do  the 
work.  A  selected  stall"  of  French  and  German  experl 
modelers  and  artists  put  into  lasting  form  the  beauti- 
ful decorative  and  ornamental  designs  of  the  archi- 
tect. The  work  was  begun  in  November,  1907,  and 
was  completed  in  June,  1008. 

The  hard  setting  base,  or  first  coating,  amounted 
in  area  to  700,000  feet,  and  over  5,000,000  pounds  of 
prepared  King's  Windsor  Cement  Plastering  were 
used  in  the  work.  Upward  of  200  tons  of  other  ma- 
terials were  used  in  the  various  finishing  coats,  such 
as  Keene's  Cement,  Portland  Cement  and  Rockland- 
Rockport  Lime.  The  cement  base  is  8  miles  in 
length  and  there  are  2  miles  of  molded  cornice  in  the 
corridors. 

The  partitions  and  furred  walls  of  this  great  build 
ing  required  256,000  square  feet  of  metal  laths,  to  sup- 
port which  were  used  50  miles  of  structural  angle  iron, 
130  miles  of  wire  and  1 10,000  bolts.  The  metal  bead- 
ing, used  to  protect  the  corners,  if  laid  in  a  straight 
line  would  extend  over  155,000  feet,  or  nearly  30 
miles. 

Hundreds  of  barrels  and  50,000  bags  were  re- 
quired to  hold  the  great  mass  of  plastering  material 
while  being  transported  to  the  building,  and  the 
days'  time  of  the  skilled  workmen  employed  in  the 

[ 


execution  of  the  work  and  paid  at  the  rate  of  $5.50 
for  the  eight-hour  day,  amounted  to  seventeen  years. 

The  accompanying  illustration  is  a  photograph 
of  a  portion  of  the  arched  and  domed  ceiling  of  the 
main  entrance  corridor.  There  are  nineteen  of  these 
great  ornamental  plaster  domes  resting  upon  decora- 
tive plaster  arches,  supported  by  square  marble 
columns  with  bronze  capitals  and  bronze  moldings; 
the  coin  inns  being  12  feet  from  center  to  center 
each  way.  The  decorative  arches  and  ornamental 
domes  were  executed  in  the  style  of  the  French 
Renaissance,  and  are  rich  in  detail  and  artistic  em- 
bellishment. The  grouping  of  the  stately  columns, 
the  artistic  taste  and  rare  beauty  of  the  ornamenta- 
tion, and  the  perfection  and  refinement  of  the  molded 
plaster  arches  and  domes  make  this  grand  corridor 
unquestionably  the  most  beautiful  and  impressive 
ever  erected  in  a  great  commercial  building  in  the 
(  'ity  of  New  York. 

Another  notable  portion  of  the  plastering  is  to 
be  found  in  the  basement  corridor  leading  to  the  heavy 
armor-plate  Safe  Deposit  Vaults.  The  finish  here  is 
in  artificial  Caen  Stone,  of  a  soft,  yellowish  gray  tint. 
The  work  comprises  massive  columns,  14  feet  in  cir- 
cumference, paneled  walls  and  arched  and  domed  ceil- 
ings. Artificial  ( laen  Stone  is  an  imported  French  ma- 
terial, closely  resembling  the  natural  stone,  to  w  hich  it 
is  superior  because  of  its  hardness.  The  work  through- 
out gives  the  effect  of  niassiveness  and  stability. 

Another  conspicuous  portion  of  the  plastering 
work  occurs  in  the  principal  offices  of  The  Singer 
Manufacturing  Company,  comprising  the  33d,  34th 
and  35th  stories  of  the  building.  Here  are  orna- 
mental plaster  cornices,  ornamental  paneled  ceilings 
in  plaster  and  ornamental  paneled  walls  in  Keene's 
Cement,  all  molded  and  executed  from  special  designs 
by  the  architect. 

The  work  is  not  elaborate  in  detail,  but  substan- 
tial and  dignified  in  effect,  and  well  adapted  to  the 
purpose — that  is,  the  decoration  and  ornamentation 
of  the  offices  of  a  great  manufacturing  company. 

The  members  of  II.  W.  Miller,  Inc.,  and  the 
skilled  mechanics  and  artists  employed  by  them, 
all  heartily  joined  with  the  architect  and  owners  in 
a  harmonious  effort  to  reach  the  desired  result — a 
completed  piece  of  work  of  the  highest  excellence, 
made  of  the  most  reliable  and  enduring  materials  and 
executed  in  the  most  skillful  and  artistic  manner 
known  to  the  trade. 

08  ] 


ARCHED  AND  DOMED  CEILING  OE  MAIN  CORRIDOR 


PAINTING 


INTERIOR  WALL  FINISH 

THE  finish  used  on  the  walls 
of  all  halls,  corridors  and 
stair  wells  throughout  the 
Singer  Building  and  Tower  is  "Sat- 
inette,"  which,  to  harmonize  more 
perfectly  with  the  rest  of  the  deco- 
rative scheme,  was  in  this  instance 
tinted  a  light  cream. 

In  its  original  manufactured 
state  "Satinette"  is  a  pure  white 
material,  accomplishing  by  distinc- 
tive means  the  ideals  that  decorators 
have  heretofore  sought  to  attain  by 
the  use  of  enamels  and  the  more 
primitive  pigment  and  gloss  com- 
binations. Its  history,  if  published 
in  full,  would  be  far  from  dull  read- 
ing. Pinchin,  Johnson  &  Co.,  Ltd., 
the  veteran  London  house  in  whose 
laboratories  it  originated,  had  been 
working  on  various  formulas  more 
than  ten  years  before  making  the 
discovery  which  started  their  chem- 
ists on  a  new  line  of  experimenting 
that  led,  by  an  extremely  original 
and  ingenious  course,  to  the  de- 
sired end. 

The  announcement  that,  by 
scientific  means,  a  perfect  white 
had  been  given  absolute  permanency 
and  rendered  invulnerable  against 
repeated  washing  created  wide  in- 
terest in  Great  Britain  and  through- 
out Europe.  The  material  was 
adopted  with  a  readiness  and  prev- 
alence quite  unprecedented.  Spain 
and  the  south  of  France  embraced 
it  almost  as  early  as  did  England 
and  Scotland;  it  was  being  applied  in  the  Monte 
Carlo  casinos  before  it  was  fairly  dry  in  the  ball- 
rooms of  London  hotels. 

In  America  the  Singer  Company  was  the  first  to 
take  it  up  for  extensive  use  as  a  washable  finish, 
others  having  employed  it  only  decoratively.  It  was 
applied  not  alone  on  the  interior,  but  on  the  exteriors 
of  the  court  walls,  thus  accomplishing  both  beauti- 
ful tone  within  and  exceptional  light  effect  without. 

All  purchases  of  the  material  were  made  of  Pinchin, 
Johnson  &  Co. 's  American  licensee,  the  Standard  Var- 

I 


nish  Works,  through  its  central  office  at  No.  29  Broad- 
way, New  York,  and  an  idea  of  the  amount  used  can 
be  formed  from  the  statement  that  it  was  an  equivalent 
to  what  would  be  necessary  to  single-coat  an  area  of 
nearly  five  acres,  or  a  strip  1  foot  wide  completely 
around  the  Island  of  Manhattan — 40  miles.  This, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  covering  capacity 
was  so  much  greater  than  had  been  anticipated  that 
the  amount  consumed  was  30  per  cent,  less  than  the 
decorator's  estimate  based  upon  the  average  enamel 
covering  capacity. 

70] 


EXTERIOR  AND  INTERIOR  PAINTING 


Painting  the  exterior  of  the  Singer  Tower  was  the  most 
hazardous  work  on  the  building,  because  the  painters  worked 
on  swinging  scaffolds  ranging  from  100  to  600  feet  above  the 
ground. 

This  work  was  conducted  to  a  satisfactory  conclusion  with- 
out accident  or  mishap.  The  scope  of  the  work  included  paint- 
ing all  metal  work,  both  interior  and  exterior,  finishing  all  new 
and  refmishing  all  hard  wood,  painting  and  enameling  all  eleva- 
tor shafts  and  toilet  rooms,  and  painting  exterior  brick  work  of 
the  courts.  This  work  was  done  by  the  W.  P.  Nelson  Co., 
No.  120  West  Twenty-ninth  Street,  New  York. 

Among  the  many  new  problems  met  with,  and  successfully 
solved,  in  the  erection  of  the  Singer  Tower,  not  the  least  was 

USE  OF  ^°   seclIre   a   Permanent>  durable   coating  for 

„    those  wall  surfaces   that    are   subject   to  un- 

it VITRALITE 

FOR  CERTAIN     usua^y  severe  conditions   and,  on  account  of 
„™  their  location,  demand  special  consideration  with 

SURFACES 

respect  to  sanitary  properties. 

The  floors  generally,  throughout  this  building,  are  left  free 
of  partitions,  being  planned  in  the  nature  of  lofts,  and  sub- 
divided with  temporary  partitions,  according  to  the  wishes  and 
needs  of  the  tenants. 

The  permanent  partitions  are  those  forming  the  toilet  rooms 
and  lavatories.  These  toilet  rooms  and  lavatories  occur  on  every 
floor.  In  all  of  them  the  walls  and  ceilings  were  covered  with 
the  English  enamel  "Vitralite,"  made  by  Robert  Ingham  Clark 
&  Co.,  Ltd.,  London,  England,  associated  with  Pratt  &  Lambert, 
New  York,  from  whom  this  enamel  was  purchased. 

As  these  surfaces  require  frequent  and  thorough  cleansing, 
and  as  there  is  always  a  considerable  amount  of  moisture  in 
places  of  this  character,  "Vitralite"  enamel  was  selected  on 
account  of  its  great  durability.  For  the  same  reason  it  is  used 
on  the  entire  surface  of  the  immense  elevator  shafts,  at  present 
the  highest  in  existence.  For  these  purposes  over  500  gallons  of 
the  "Vitralite"  enamel  were  applied  by  the  W,  P.  Nelson  Co., 
under  the  supervision  of  the  architect. 


L  n  J 


INTERIOR  DECORATING 

All  the  walls  and  ceilings  throughout  the  Singer 
Tower  are  decorated  1 1 j >  to  and  including  the  13th 
story.  The  ceilings  are  done  in  white  water  color 
and  the  walls  painted  a  light  tan  shade  to  harmo- 
nize with  the  trim  finished  in  oak. 

Above  the  13th  story,  throughout  the  entire  upper 
office  portion  of  the  Tower,  the  ceilings  are  painted  a 
light  ivory  color,  while  the  walls  are  a  dainty  shade 
of  green  that  blends  admirably  with  the  metal  trim, 
doors,  etc.,  which  are  finished  in  mahogany  color. 

The  ceilings  of  the  corridors  in  the  Tower,  likewise 
in  the  Singer  Building,  Bourne  Building  and  Bourne 
Building  Addition,  arc  painted  white  and  the  walls 
a  light  cream  shade,  finished  w  ith  two  coats  of  enamel. 

The  decorations  on  the  ceiling  of  the  main  en- 
hance form  the  most  striking  feature  of  this  contract. 
Here  gold  leaf  to  the  value  of  many  hundreds  of 
dollars  is  applied  with  great  skill  and  discrimination 
to  bring  out  the  beautiful  and  intricate  ornamenta- 
tions in  the  series  of  vaults  and  domes  surmounting 
the  marble  columns.  Especially  at  night,  when  this 
corridor  remains  illuminated  while  the  rest  of  the 
building  is  in  darkness,  it  appears  to  the  beholder 
like  the  nave  of  some  wonderful,  golden  cathedral. 

An  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  this  decorating  con- 
tract may  be  obtained  from  the  statement  that  more 
than  4,500  gallons  of  material  were  required;  and 
while  the  employment  of  from  100  to  200  artisans  re- 
sulted in  the  completion  of  the  entire  work  within  the 
specified  time  limit  of  thirty  days,  it  would  have  taken 
more  than  nine  years'  constant  labor  on  the  part  of 
one  man  to  finish  the  task.  Moreover,  it  is  seldom 
that  so  large  a  contract  for  painting  and  decorating 
is  completed  in  so  short  a  time  without  the  registering 
of  a  single  complaint  or  criticism.  The  entire  work, 
as  described,  was  executed  by  William  F.  Margerin, 
No.  358  West  Forty-second  Street,  New  York. 


I  72  j 


LOOKING  NORTH  FROM  THE  SINGER  TOWER 


HARDWARE 


THE  Singer  Building  is  equipped,  throughout, 
with  "Russwin  Hardware,"  furnished  by 
Russell  &  Erwin  Manufacturing  Co.,  Con- 
tract Department,  No.  26  West  Twenty-sixth  Street, 
New  York  City;  factories  at  New  Britain,  Conn. 

The  "Russwin  Unit  Lock"  represents  the  high- 
est development  in  the  art  of  modern  lock-making. 
It  is  especially  adapted  to  office  buildings,  simplicity 


of  construction  and  ease  of  application  being  two  of 
its  principal  features. 

The  "Russwin  Liquid  Door  Check"  has  proved 
its  superiority  by  perfect  operation  under  the  most 
severe  conditions  to  which  any  check  has  been  sub- 
jected. The  door  checks  in  the  Singer  Tower 
are  located  at  a  greater  altitude  than  any  heretofore 
in  use. 


[  73] 


THE  DIRECTORS'  ROOM 

OFFICE  FURNITURE 


THE  Executive  Offices  of  The  Singer  Manu- 
facturing Company,  covering  the  entire  34th 
floor  of  the  Singer  Building,  are  equipped 
throughout  with  mahogany  furniture  manufactured  by 
the  Dotcn-Dunton  Desk  Co.  of  New  York  and  Boston. 

The  furniture  shown  in  the  appended  illustration 
of  the  Directors'  Room  is  uniform  in  every  detail  of 
design,  material,  construction  and  finish,  and  each 
piece  bears  its  relation  to  and  architecturally  con- 
forms with  every  other. 

It  is  made  throughout  of  selected  Honduras 
mahogany,  and  the  cabinet  work,  veneering,  carv- 


ing, etc.,  is  of  the  highest  grade.  We  mention  the 
following  special  features: 

Drawers,  hand  dovetailed.  Drawer  bottoms  of 
three-ply  Figured  Mahogany.  Drawer  sides  and 
backs  of  Figured  Mahogany.  Solid  Division  between 
each  two  Drawers  making  separate  Dust-proof  Com- 
partments. Veneers  (except  where  branch  veneers 
are  used)  are  one  quarter  inch  thick.  Branch  Veneer 
panels  mitered  at  center  on  Davenports,  Chairs, 
Tables  and  Bookcases. 

Such  furniture  appeals  to  the  discriminating  man 
and  creates  the  right  impression  upon  all  who  see  it. 

J 


ELECTRIC  CLOCK  SYSTEM 


THE  "Magneta"  Electric  Clock 
System,  manufactured  by  the 
Magneta  Clock  Company,  Nos.  120 
and  122  West  Thirty-first  Street,  New 
York,  the  latest  and  most  up-to-date  elec- 
tric time-clock  system  on  the  market, 
has  been  installed  throughout  the  Singer 
Building. 

Batteries  and  contact-points,  which 
have  been  the  cause  of  much  dissatis- 
faction and  trouble  in  other  electric  clock 
systems,  in  this  have  been  entirely  elimi- 
nated. 

The  entire  system  of  secondary  clocks 
throughout  the  building  is  actuated  by 
the  master-clock  shown  in  the  illustration. 
This  is  located  in  an  ornamental  bronze 
casing  in  the  main  corridor. 

The  winding  of  the  master-clock  is 
done  by  an  electric  motor,  which  obtains 
the  necessary  current  from  the  electric 
plant  in  the  building  and  winds  up  the 
weight  automatically  once  every  day. 

The  weight  operates  the  clock  move- 
ment proper,  as  well  as  the  current-pro- 
ducing magneto  apparatus.  The  magneto 
apparatus  is  released  every  half  minute, 
thus  generating  a  positive  and  strong 
current,  and  operating  the  secondary 
clocks  throughout  the  building. 

To  insure  absolute  correctness  of  time, 
the  master-clock  is  equipped  with  a  "Re- 
monitoir"  escapement,  such  as  is  used  on 
the  finest  astronomical  regulators  and 
tower  clocks,  where  accurate  timekeep- 
ing is  desired.  It  is  also  equipped  with 
an  Invar  Steel  Pendulum;  a  pendulum 

which  has  given  far  better  results  than  the  mercurial  All  wire  is  heavy  rubber  covered,  and  is  run  through 
pendulums.  a  separate  conduit  system,  thus  avoiding  interference 

The  secondary  clocks  are  connected  in  series.      with  other  wires. 


[75] 


METAL  TRIM 


IN  view  of  the  recent  revisions  of  the  building 
codes  in  most  large  cities,  it  is  interesting  to  note 
the  improvements  in  building  construction  made 
to  comply  with  the  demands  for  better  fire  pro- 
tection. 

The  Singer  Building  is  notable  in  this  respect;  the 
visitor's  attention  is  immediately  claimed  by  the  uni- 
form color  and  beautiful  grain  of  the  interior  trim, 
and  it  is  only  upon  a  very  close  and  careful  examina- 
tion that  the  nature  of  this  trim  is  revealed.  Steel 
again  proves  its  great  commercial  value,  for  this  is 
the  composition  of  what  are  to  all  appearances  oak 
and  mahogany  doors,  partitions,  moldings,  etc. 

The  aesthetic  appearance  and  the  faithful  carrying 
out  of  design  and  graining  in  what  appears  to  be  re- 

[ 


markably  fine  woodwork  is  truly  wonderful,  and  a 
brief  description  of  its  manufacture  and  erection  will 
be  noted  with  interest.  The  stiles,  rails  and  mullions 
of  the  steel  doors  in  the  Singer  Building  are  hollow 
except  for  a  cork  filler  used  to  deaden  the  sound. 

Possibly  the  most  important  feature  in  the  manu- 
facture of  these  doors  and  of  similar  sheet  steel  con- 
mi  struction,  is  the  perfected  process 
COLD  DRAWN  d     d         w  t    {  through  dies 

rather  than  the  common  method 
of  rolling  it  while  hot,  the  latter  method  being  usual 
for  large  and  heavy  sections.  The  first-mentioned 
process  enables  sharp,  well-defined  angles  and  well- 
rounded  curves  in  the  molding,  thus  imposing  on 
the  designer  practically  no  limitation  of  ideas. 

76  J 


FIRST 

FORMATION 


The  making  of  the  draw  dies  for  the  production 
of  sheet  steel  moldings  requires  a  well-adapted  tool 
room  to  meet  the  many  possible  requirements  arising 
in  the  adoption  of  this  material  for  building  purposes. 

Dies  having  been  made  and  perfected  fully  to 
interpret  the  ideas  of  the  designer,  the  moldings 
are  drawn  out  in  lengths  of  from  30  to  50  feet.  They 
are    then    cut    into  required 
lengths  and  sent  to  the  press 
room  to  be  notched  and  drilled 
for  connections. 

In  the  formation  of  hollow 
steel  doors  the  first  operation 
is  to  trim  large 
sheets  of  patent 
leveled  steel  to 
exact  sizes.  Particular  care 
must  be  taken  in  this  operation 
as  the  variation  from  plan  of 
the  64th  part  of  an  inch  will 
cause  an  imperfect  result.  This 
done,  the  moldings  are  formed 
in  the  sheets,  openings  are  cut 
for  hardware  and  the  proper 
bends  made. 

A  peculiar  feature  of  hollow 
steel  door-making  will  here  be 
noticed;  i.  e.,  that  the  size  and 
nature  of  hardware  must  be 
taken  into  account  at  the  very 
inception  instead  of  at  the  com- 
pletion of  the  door,  as  in  the 
case  of  either  Kalamein  or 
wood  doors.  The  partly  formed 
sheets  of  steel  are  then  sent  to 
the  paint  shop  to  be  completely 
covered  by  a  protective  coat  of 
oil  paint. 

From  the  press  and  machine 
rooms  the  various  parts,  after 
having  been 
coated,  are 

placed  in  the  assembly  room,  where 
the  mechanical  perfection  of  the  door  and  trim  is 
attained.  Here  the  parts  are  so  closely  fitted  as  to 
secure  invisible  joints,  a  result  most  important  if  a 
pleasing  effect  is  to  be  produced  and  dust  pockets 
are  to  be  avoided. 

In  the  finishing  department  the  door  receives 
special  preparation  and  goes  through  various  proc- 
esses to  insure  a  smooth  surface  before  the  paint 

[ 


is  applied.    This  includes  the  baking  of  the  door 

in  specially  constructed  ovens,  in  order  to  obtain  an 

^..t  i  >,r^i  »ts-  adhesion  of  the  prime  coat  to  the 
ENAMELING         .    ,  .  ..    L     .       ,  , 

steel  so  that  it  will  not  crack  under 

the  blows  of  the  hammer  or  the  bending,  expansion 

or  contraction  of  the  metal.    The  body  coat  of  paint 

is  now  applied  and  treated  by  special  processes,  in- 


ASSEMBLINO 
AND  FITTING 


eluding  baking,  rubbing,  etc.,  and  the  door  is  then 
turned  over  to  the  artist  for  graining. 

The  appearance  of  the  steel  doors  and  partitions 
in  the  Singer  Building  is  so  true  to  nature  in  showing 
ARTISTIC  ^eaut^1^  gram  °f  carefully  se- 

FINISH  lected,  well-finished  quartered  oak 

and  Honduras  mahogany  as  to  de- 
ceive experts  into  the  belief  that  these  woods  were  used. 

This  is  produced  by  artistic  hand-graining  on  the 

77  ] 


surface  of  the  metal  sheet,  prepared  as  has  been  de- 
scribed. The  door  is  then  varnished,  baked  and 
rubbed,  and  is  finished,  so  far  as  the  factory  opera- 
tions are  concerned. 

Having  the  mechanical  and  aesthetic  features 
fully  developed,  it  may  be  well  to  consider  the  erec- 
tion of  the  work  and  how  it  compares  with  that  of 
other  material.  The  door  can  be  placed  in  a  build- 
ing many  weeks  earlier  than  a  wooden  door,  for  there 
is  no  fear  of  its  swelling  or  warping,  due  to  damp- 
ness; as  soon  as  erected  it  immediately  comes  into 
efficient  service,  an  advantage  often 


ERECTING 
THE  WORK 


of  the  utmost  importance.  The 
dangers  of  marring  the  door  are 
slight,  because  the  enamel  is  baked  on  mi  thoroughly 
that  blows,  due  to  carelessness  of  workmen,  do  not 
readily  mar  the  finish  as  they  would  that  of  a  wooden 
door.  The  finish  being  complete  before  the  work 
leaves  the  factory,  the  necessity  of  finishing  on  the  job. 
where  there  is  exposure  to  dust,  is  entirely  obviated. 

The  door  jamb  and  casing  are  fastened  directly  to 
rolled  iron  channels  or  angles  placed  in  the  openings 
before  plastering,  or  wooden  "bucks"  fastened  to 
these  channels  may  be  used  and  the  door  jambs 
fastened  thereto.  The  wooden  "bucks"  are  com- 
pletely covered  by  the  steel  jamb  and  casing,  and  the 
door  hinges  are  fastened  to  the  iron  channel  with 
machine  screws,  thus  obviating  the  dependence  upon 
the  wood  to  bear  the  strain  of  the  weight  of  the  door. 
The  advantage  of  this  latter  method  is  apparent. 


VARIETY 
OF  STEEL 
TRIM 


The  doors  can  be  erected  much  faster  than  wooden 
doors,  as  all  measurements  are  exact  and  once  in 
place  there  is  no  necessity  for  rehanging,  due  to 
swelling  or  other  causes. 

The  visitor  will  notice  a  large  number  of  steel  par- 
titions, picture  moldings,  window  trim,  corridor 
lights,  wainscoting,  cap  and  many 
other  items  required  for  the  com- 
plete interior  equipment  of  this 
modern  building.  The  methods  of 
manufacture  in  each  case  are  almost  identical  with 
those  described.  It  is  well  to  note  the  features  in- 
troduced in  the  steel  partitions,  whereby  they  can  be 
quickly  taken  down  and  reelected  in  any  desired 
part  of  the  building.  Variations  in  lengths  and 
heights  arc  taken  up  by  adjustment  provided  for  in 
the  "filler"  pieces  on  the  sides  and  top.  All  of  the 
sheet  metal  doors,  partitions,  and  trim  in  the  Singer 
Building  were  made  and  erected  into  place  by  the 
Dahlstrom  Metallic  Poor  ( 'out putty,  of  Jamestown, 
\ .  Y.  New  York  office  at  No.  299  Broadway.  The 
paneled  steel  wainscoting  on  the  ,'J4th  floor,  shown 
in  the  accompanying  illustration,  is  worthy  of  notice 
as  it  produces  a  remarkably  cozy  effect  in  the  room. 

Briefly  stated,  the  advantages 
gained  by  the  use  of  doors,  parti- 
tions, trim,  etc.,  of  the  Dahlstrom 
System  are:  fireproofness,  dispatch 
in  completion  of  the  building,  uniformity  of  design 
and  color,  durability  and  utility. 


ADVANTAGES 
OF  STEEL 
TRIM 


SAFETY  DEVICE  FOR   WINDOW  CLEANERS 


THE  Whitner  Safety  Device  tor  outside  window 
cleaners,  as  attached  to  the  Singer  Building, 
consists  of  bronze  bolts  screwed  into  the 
metal  window  casings,  two  on  a  side.  The  window 
cleaner  wears  a  regulation  belt,  made  in  the  usual 
fashion,  of  heavy  frames,  fourfold  and  double  stitched, 
provided  with  aluminum  bronze  terminals  and  brass 
rope  eyes.  The  window  cleaner  raises  the  window, 
attaches  one  of  the  terminals  to  the  belt,  steps  out 
upon  the  window  ledge,  attaches  the  other  terminal 
and  is  securely  fastened  to  the  building,  with  no  pos- 
sibility of  falling,  both  hands  being  left  free  to  work 
with.  The  belt  is  so  constructed  that  he  is  permitted 
to  move  from  one  side  of  the  w  indow  to  the  other. 

Ten  years  ago  it  was  difficult  to  convince  archi- 
tects and  builders  that  it  was  necessary  to  protect  out- 

[78] 


side  window  cleaners,  an  occu- 
pation made  extra  hazardous 
by  the  height  of  the  modern 
skyscraper.  To-day,  however, 
the  Whitner  Safety  Device  is 
recognized  as  a  "necessary 
modern  improvement,"  and  is 
found  on  up-to-date  buildings 
in  all  parts  of  the  country. 

It  is  claimed  that  there  has 
never  been  an  accident  where 
the  Whitner  Safetv  Device  was 


used 


The  home  office 
Co.  is  at  Chicago,  111 
2  Rector  Street. 


of  the  Whitner  Safety  Device 
;  the  New  York  office  is  at  No. 


THE  MECHANICAL  PLANT 


THE  MECHANICAL  PLANT-INTRODUCTORY 


OFFICE  <)!•'  THE  CHIEF  ENGINEER  OF  THE  SINGER  HI  IU)I\(. 


BEFORE  the  pres<  mi t  alterations  and  additions 
were  made,  the  plant  of  the  old  Singer  and 
Bourne  Buildings  consisted  principally  of 
four  Babcock  &  Wilcox  water-tube  boilers  ag- 
gregating 546  H.  P.,  and  seven  Diehl  generators, 
of  a  total  capacity  of  387.o  kilowatts,  direct-con- 
nected to  six  Ball  &  Wood  engines  of  572  indi- 
cated H.  P.  There  were  further  three  10-in. 
x  6-in.  x  10-in.  house-service  and  fire  pumps, 
the  usual  complement  of  boiler-feed  and  return 
pumps;  three  feed-water  heaters;  pumps,  tanks 
and  motors  for  three  hydraulic  and  three  elec- 
trical elevators;  a  2^-ton  refrigerating  plant;  a 
10  H.  P.  vacuum  sweeping  plant;  vacuum  return 
pumps  and  tanks,  air  compressors,  filters,  grease 
extractors,  separators  and  other  similar  appur- 
tenances. 

Roughly  speaking,  this  plant  occupied  the  westerly 

[  80 


half  of  the  basenienl  of  the  old  Singer  Building  and 
the  easterly  half  of  the  basement  of  the  adjoining 
Bourne  Building,  the  boilers  being  located  in  the 
forward  part  of  these  spaces. 

After  careful  consideration  it  was  found  that  the 
owners'  interests  would  be  best  served  by  replacing 
this  entire  equipment  with  a  new  plant  of  ample 
capacity  to  take  care  of  the  remodeled  and  greatly 
enlarged  group  of  buildings.  But  it  was  necessary  to 
accomplish  this  transformation  gradually,  according 
to  a  carefully  prearranged  programme,  for  while 
the  change  was  being  made  the  Singer  and  Bourne 
Buildings  had  to  be  supplied  uninterruptedly  with 
heat,  light,  wrater  and  elevator  service,  and  the  new 
buildings  with  temporary  heat  and  light. 

The  new  boiler  plant,  consisting  of  five  Bab- 
cock &  Wilcox  water-tube  boilers,  aggregating 
about  2,000  H.  P.,  was  therefore  installed  first,  and 

] 


located  in  the  basement  of  the  Bourne  Addition 
Building  about  60  feet  west  of  the  old  engine  room 
and  connected  to  it  by  means  of  a  pipe  passage,  as 
indicated  on  the  accompanying  plan. 

These  boilers  are  equipped  with  superheaters 
and  a  balanced  draft  system,  the  blower  of  which  is 
located  north  of  boiler  No.  5,  as  shown. 

From  this  blower,  indicated  by  the  number  8 
on  the  boiler-room  plan,  is  run  the  main  balanced 
draft  duct  (marked  10)  at  the  rear  of  the  boilers, 
with  a  number  of  branch  ducts  extending  to  the 
bridge  wall  of  each  boiler,  as  indicated  by  the  dotted 
lines.  The  advantages  of  this  balanced  draft  system 
are  described  in  detail  farther  on ;  incidentally,  it  helps 
to  keep  down  the  temperature  of  the  boiler  room, 
which  is  one  of  the  coolest  in  the  city. 

There  is  an  overhead  smoke  breeching  at  the 
rear  of  the  boilers,  marked  6  on  the  plan,  extend- 
ing to  the  steel  smokestack,  marked  7,  located  in 
the  northwest  corner  of  the  building.  An  air  space 
has  been  left  around  the  stack,  between  it  and  the 
surrounding  brickwork,  from  the  basement  to  the 
roof,  for  ventilating  the  boiler  room. 

Above  the  roof  the  stack  has  been  carried  over 
to  the  north  and  combined  with  that  of  the  City 
Investing  Building,  an  unusual  procedure,  never 
before  attempted,  as  far  as  the  writer  knows.  The 
results  have  been  very  satisfactory. 

There  are  installed  in  the  new  boiler  room  two 
feed  pumps;  a  feed-water  meter;  a  blow-off  tank 
located  in  a  sump,  with  electrical  drain  pump;  an 
overhead  coal  trolley  with  scales;  a  ventilating  blower, 
and  underground  vacuum  ash  conveyer  pipes. 

These,  marked  21  on  the  plan,  consist  of  a  main, 
extra-heavy  wrought  iron  pipe,  with  branches  ex- 
tending to  a  series  of  cast  iron  boxes,  with  remov- 
able strainer  covers.  There  are  three  of  these 
located  in  the  floor  just  in  front  of  each  boiler,  so 
that  the  ashes  may  be  raked  directly  into  them;  and 
one  between  each  pair  of  boilers,  for  drawing  off  the 
soot  at  the  side  clean-out  doors. 

The  new  boiler  room  is  connected  to  the  engine 
room  by  means  of  a  12-inch  high-pressure  steam  main, 
extending  from  the  rear  of  the  boilers  through  the  pipe 
gallery  to  the  engine  room,  along  the  westerly  wall 
of  the  latter  (where  the  connections  to  the  new  engines 
are  taken  off),  thence  to  the  front  of  the  building  and 
back  to  the  boiler  room,  thus  making  a  complete 
circuit. 

This  main  is  marked  22  on  the  plan. 

Parallel  to  the  12-inch  main  over  the  boilers  is 
located  a  6-inch  auxiliary  main.  This  is  likewise 
run  through  the  pipe  gallery  to  the  engine  room  and 

[ 


branches  to  the  pumps,  compressors,  heating  main 
and  various  minor  appurtenances. 

After  the  new  boiler  plant  had  been  placed  in  com- 
mission the  old  boilers  were  removed,  thereby  making 
room  for  one  of  the  new  engines  and  generators  and 
the  new  pumping  plant.  At  the  same  time  the 
erection  of  an  extension  at  the  rear  of  the  Bourne 
Building  afforded  opportunity  for  installing  another 
of  the  new  engine-generator  units.  In  this  manner 
the  old  units  were  gradually  replaced. 

The  new  power  plant  consists  of  five  units  com- 
posed of  three  simple  and  two  compound  Ball  & 
Wood  engines,  coupled  with  Diehl  generators,  ag- 
gregating 1,400  kilowatts'  capacity.  A  detailed  de- 
scription of  them  will  be  found  in  succeeding  pages. 
They  occupy  the  entire  space  of  what  was  originally 
the  Bourne  Building  engine  and  boiler  room,  with  a 
rear  extension.  Four  of  them  are  placed  in  a  straight 
line,  leaving  a  large  open  space  in  front  of  the  main 
switch  board,  as  will  be  seen  by  referring  to  the  plan. 
Opposite  the  switch  board  is  placed  the  steam-gauge 
board.  A  generous  amount  of  space  is  left  around 
each  unit;  as  a  result  the  building  lias  one  of  the  most 
imposing  engine  rooms  in  the  city. 

The  engine  and  generator  foundations  are  built 
of  armored  concrete,  designed,  with  considerable 
ingenuity,  so  as  to  avoid  the  old  grillage  foundations 
under  the  columns  of  the  Bourne  Building. 

The  leads  from  the  generators  to  the  switch 
board  consist  of  lead  armored  cables  in  underground 
iron  conduits. 

Each  steam  connection  from  the  12-inch  main  to 
the  engines  is  equipped  with  a  steam  separator  to 
insure  the  delivery  of  dry  steam.  These  separators 
are  described  in  detail  farther  on.  A  10-inch  and  an 
18-inch  exhaust  main  are  run  under  the  engine-room 
floor,  east  of  the  engines,  with  an  underground  con- 
nection to  each.  These  two  mains  are  combined 
into  a  20-inch  pipe  marked  26  on  the  plan,  from 
which  a  branch  was  passed  through  the  feed-water 
heater,  located  in  the  pump  room,  east  of  the  engine 
room.  In  this  heater  a  portion  of  the  exhaust 
steam  is  utilized  for  heating  the  boiler  feed  water, 
which  is  pumped  through  it  from  the  suction  tanks 
to  the  boilers  by  the  boiler-feed  pumps. 

The  20-inch  exhaust  main  is  run  in  the  form  of  a 
loop  around  the  feed-water  heater,  as  shown  on  the 
plan.  From  this  loop  are  taken  the  principal  heating 
mains.  Should,  for  any  reason,  the  supply  of  ex- 
haust steam  become  inadequate  for  heating  purposes, 
live  steam  may  be  injected  into  the  exhaust  loop 
through  a  6-inch  high-pressure  steam  connection,  after 
reducing  the  steam  pressure  from  160  pounds  down  to 

] 


ONE  END  OF  THE  MACHINE  SHOP,  SINGER  BUILDING 


about  1  pound,  or  even  atmospheric  pressure,  by 
means  of  the  pressure-reducing  valve  which  is 
mounted  on  the  6-inch  connection. 

;_After  the  various  heating  mains  were  supplied 
from  it,  the  20-inch  exhaust  main  was  fitted  with  a 
back-pressure  valve  (to  maintain  the  pressure  in  the 
exhaust  piping  required  for  heating  purposes)  and 
then  extended  from  a  point  above  engine  No.  2  up 
to  the  roof  of  the  Bourne  Building.  Here  it  was  run 
over  to  the  roof  of  the  Bourne  Building  Addition  to 
get  it  as  far  away  from  the  Tower  as  possible  and 
finally  capped  with  a  cast  iron  exhaust  head. 

^  The  engine  room  is  equipped  with  a  complete 
system  of  overhead  I-beam  tracks  and  trolleys  with 
chain  blocks,  for  handling  valves  or  parts  of  the 
engines  and  generators.  It  is  cooled  by  air  delivered 
at  numerous  points  along  the  ceiling  through  galvan- 
ized iron  ducts  connected  with  electrically  driven 

[ 


blowers  located  in  the  fan  room,  east  of  the  switch 
board.  This  air  is  previously  filtered,  washed  and 
tempered  in  an  elaborately  constructed  intake, 
located  over  engine  No.  .5. 

Like  the  engine  room,  the  various  elevator  machin- 
ery rooms  throughout  the  building  have  been  equipped 
with  overhead  tracks,  traveling  cranes,  trolleys,  and 
chain  blocks  for  handling  parts  of  their  machinery 
in  case  of  a  breakdown.  Spare  armatures  mounted 
on  trucks,  are  conveniently  stored  for  immediately 
replacing  any  that  may  burn  out,  thus  guarding  against 
protracted  interruptions  of  the  elevator  service. 

East  of  the  engine  room,  in  the  basement  of  the 
old  Singer  Building,  is  now  located  the  pump  room, 
repair  shop  and  Chief  Engineer's  office. 

There  is  also  an  electrician's  room  and  a  waste- 
paper  room,  containing  a  press,  by  means  of  which 
all  the  waste  paper,  gathered  up  daily  throughout 

82  ] 


the  building,  is  baled  and  then  disposed  of.  The 
paper  is  sent  down  into  this  room  through  a  chute. 

In  the  pump  room  is  placed  the  feed-water  heater 
above  mentioned;  a  20-ton  compression  system  re- 
frigerating plant,  and  the  six  principal  pumps,  of 
Worthington  make.  Two  of  these  are  installed  for 
the  fire  service,  two  for  the  low-pressure  and  two  for 
the  high-pressure  house  services.  For  the  details  of 
these  services  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  chapter  on 
Plumbing. 

The  fire  pumps  are  of  the  horizontal  duplex,  direct 
acting  steam  type,  each  having  a  capacity  of  not  less 
than  500  gallons  per  minute  against  a  pressure  of  300 
pounds,  when  operating  at  a  piston  speed  not  exceed- 
ing 100  feet  per  minute. 

The  low-pressure  house  pumps  are  of  the  com- 
pound direct  acting,  duplex  steam  type,  of  200  gallons 
capacity  per  minute  against  100  pounds  pressure,  66 
feet  piston  speed;  the  high-pressure  pumps  are  of 
similar  type  of  120  gallons  capacity  against  300 
pounds  50  feet  piston  speed.  They  are  brass  fitted 
throughout  and  their  cylinders  lagged  in  the 
customary  manner. 

The  pump  room  further  contains  the  "  low- 
tension"  motor  generators,  for  furnishing  current  to 
bells,  phonographs  and  similar  services,  which  are 
usually  run  by  batteries  in  smaller  plants;  also  the 
"low-tension"  switch  board.  This  service  is  more 
fully  described  in  another  chapter. 

The  office  of  the  Chief  Engineer,  Mr.  J.  C.  Buxton, 
is  a  commodious  room,  14 x  20  ft.,  completely  equipped 
with  bookcases  and  draughting  tables;  a  telephone 
central  station  connecting  with  all  parts  of  the  me- 
chanical and  elevator  plant;  pressure  and  recording 
gauges;  controlling  valves  of  the  Foster  Automatic 
Valve  System  for  emergency  purposes,  and  the  electri- 
cal position  indicator  board  of  the  elevator  service. 

The  entrance  door  to  the  entire  mechanical  plant 
is  under  the  control  of  the  chief  engineer's  office,  which 
must  be  passed  by  all  visitors  to  the  engine  room. 

The  space  at  the  rear  of  the  main  switch  board 
was  utilized  for  the  New  York  Telephone  Company's 
board,  and  for  the  pump,  pressure  and  discharge 
tanks  of  the  Otis  Company's  hydraulic  sidewalk  lifts. 

Adjoining  the  engine  room  on  the  northeast  is 
located  the  compressor  room.  Here  are  two  Inger- 
soll-Rand  8-in.,  13-in.,  12-in.,  and  7^-in.,  x  10-in. 
compound  steam  and  air  Imperial  "Type  Ten"  Air 
Compressors,  with  45-inch  fly-wheels,  having  a  capa- 
city of  210  cubic  feet  of  free  air  per  minute,  at  160 
revolutions  and  developing  37  indicated  H.  P. 

A  compressed  air  system  has  been  installed,  consist- 
ing substantially  of  a  30-inch  by  72-inch  tank  and  a  2- 

[ 


inch  air  main  extending  to  the  boiler  room,  with  out- 
lets and  hose  for  cleaning  the  boilers;  further,  of  a 
header  in  the  engine  room,  with  outlets  at  each 
generator,  and  of  branches  to  the  several  banks  of 
elevators,  elevator  motors,  ventilating  fans  and  cir- 
culating pumps,  all  for  cleaning  purposes. 

The  compressor  room  also  contains  the  machines 
and  separators  of  the  Vacuum  Cleaner  System,  more 
fully  described  under  that  heading;  the  hot- water 
service  heaters;  some  parts  of  the  refrigerating  plant; 
the  ice-water  circulating  pumps;  the  automatic  oiling 
system  and  various  minor  fixtures. 

A  description  of  the  ice-  and  hot-water  services 
will  be  found  under  Plumbing. 

Above  the  compressor  room  is  located  the  filter 
and  tank  room,  readily  reached  from  the  engine  room 
by  means  of  an  iron  stairway.  Here  are  placed  the 
Scaife  water  filters  and  the  suction  tanks,  into  which 
all  the  water  is  delivered  from  the  street  mains  and 
thence  pumped  to  the  various  parts  of  the  building. 

All  high-pressure  steam  piping  is  of  extra 
heavy  wrought  iron;  changes  in  directions  and  con- 
nections to  engines  and  pumps  are  made  with  long 
sweep  pipe  bends  having  welded  flanges. 

All  fittings  2^-inch  and  over  are  flanged  and  all 
designed  for  250  pounds  working  pressure,  although 
160  pounds  is  the  pressure  now  carried.  The  work  is 
thoroughly  covered  with  85  per  cent,  carbonate  of 
magnesia  throughout,  three  thicknesses  being  used  on 
practically  all  of  the  high-pressure  piping. 

All  high-pressure  steam  piping  is  drained  by 
means  of  the  Holly  Return  System  and  protected  by 
the  Foster  Automatic  non-return  combination  valves. 

Insulated  ceilings  are  erected  over  the  boiler  and 
engine  rooms,  concealing,  in  the  latter,  a  good  many 
of  the  minor  conduits  and  pipes,  but  leaving  them 
accessible  through  manholes  and  similar  openings. 

The  toilet,  shower-bath  and  locker  accommoda- 
tions for  both  the  boiler  and  engine  rooms  are  in  keep- 
ing with  the  high  character  of  all  the  appointments. 

The  floors  of  the  engine  room  and  adjoining 
rooms  are  finished  in  red  tile  throughout.  The 
trench  covers  have  been  inlaid  with  the  same  material. 
The  walls,  including  those  of  the  boiler  room,  are 
lined  with  white  enameled  brick  and  tile.  This  treat- 
ment, in  combination  with  the  polished  brasswork  and 
the  dark  green  finish  of  the  engines,  generators  and 
other  fixtures,  has  resulted  in  a  very  agreeable  effect. 

In  a  word,  everything  has  been  done  to  give  the 
mechanical  plant  a  setting  commensurate  with  its 
importance  and  the  large  part  which  it  is  called  upon 
to  play  in  the  successful  maintenance  of  the  building 
and  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  its  occupants. 

] 


KEY  TO  PLANS  OF  BOILER  ROOM  AND 
MECHANICAL  PLANT 


1-5. — Boilers. 

6.  — Smoke  Breeching. 

7.  — Boiler  Flue. 

8.  — Balanced  Draft  Blower. 

9.  — Balanced  Draft-Blower  Engine. 
10—  Balanced  Draft  Duct. 

11. — Feed-Water  Heater. 
12-13. — Boiler-BVed  Pumps. 

14.  — Blow-off  Tank. 

15.  — Blow-off  Pump. 

16.  — Holly  Receiver. 

17.  — Sump  and  Sump  Pump. 

18.  — Ventilating  Blower. 

19.  — Ventilating  Blower  Motor. 
20— Coal  Trolley. 

21.  — Pneumatic  Ash -Conveyor  Pipes. 

22.  — High-Pressure  Steam  Main. 

23.  — Auxiliary  Steam  Main. 

24.  — Sidewalk  Lift. 

25.  — Coal  Scales. 

26.  — Exhaust  Main. 

27.  — Exhaust  to  Roof. 

28.  — Pressure-Reducing  Valve. 

29.  — Back-Pressure  Valve. 

30.  — Heating  Mains. 

31.  —Exhaust  Piping. 

32.  Feed-Water  Heater. 

33.  — Engine  No.  1. 

34.  — Generator  No.  1. 

35.  —Engine  No.  2. 
3(i.    ( Generator  No.  2. 

37.  — Engine  No.  3. 

38.  — Generator  No.  3. 

39.  — Engine  No.  4. 

40.  -<  ienerator  No.  t. 

4 1 .  -Engine  No.  5. 

42.  ( ienerator  No.  5. 

43.  Steam  Separators. 

44.  — Main  Switch  Board. 

45.  — Gauge  Board. 

46.  —  Telephone  Company's  Board. 

47.  — Electrical  Pump  for  Sidewalk  Lifts. 

48.  — Auxiliary  Steam  Pump  for  Sidewalk  Lifts 

49.  — Tanks  for  Sidewalk  Lifts. 

50.  — Oil  Pumps. 

51.  — Fresh-Air  Blowers. 

52.  — Elevators. 
53-54. —  Fire  Pumps. 

55-56. — Ixnv-Prcssure  House  Pumps. 
57-58.—  High- Pressure  House  Pumps. 

59.  I  lot- Water  Service  Heaters. 

60.  — Ice-Water  Circulating  Pumps 

61.  — Ice-Water  Filters. 

62.  Condenser. 

63.  — Ice  Machine. 

64.  — Freezing  Tank. 
(>.». — Can  Dump. 

66.  — Ice-Water  Storage  Tank. 

67.  — Ice-Water  Circulating  Pump. 
68-69 . — Vacuum  Pumps. 

70.  — Low-Tension  Motor  (ienerator. 

71.  — Low-Tension  Switch  Boards. 

72.  — Electrical  Elevator  Position  Indicator. 

73.  — Gauge  Board. 

74.  — Telephone  Board. 

75.  — Emery  Wheels. 

76.  — Hacksaw. 

77.  — Drill. 

78.  — Lathes. 

79.  — Grinding  Machine. 

80.  — Shaking  Machine. 

81.  — Pipe-Bending  Machine. 

82.  — Idler. 

83.  — Motor. 

84.  — Lockers. 
85-86. — Air  Compressors. 

87. — Air  Compressor  Tank. 
88,  89,  90. — Vacuum  Cleaner  Pumps. 

91.  — Vacuum  Cleaner  Separator  Tanks. 

92.  — Vacuum  Pumps  for  Drips. 

93.  — Discharge  Tank. 

94.  — Thermostatic  Pumps. 

95.  — Motor. 

96.  — Filter. 

97.  — Pump  Governor. 


LIBERTY  STREET 


BOILERS 


VERli  few  realize  either  the  important  part 
which  steam  plays  in  the  maintenance  and 
operation  of  office  buildings  or  the  vast 
quantity  of  energy  which  is  daily  generated  by  the 
combustion  of  coal  and  through  the  peculiar  prop- 
erties of  steam  safely  and  economically  stored  and 
utilized  as  required  in  the  various  mechanical 
processes  necessary  for  the  transportation  and  con- 
veniences of  this  great  commercial  center. 

Since  steam  was  first  utilized  as  a  means  of  storing 
and  conveying  the  heat  energy  developed  by  the 
combustion  of  coal  and  other  fuels,  there  has  been  a 
gradual  development  and  evolution  of  the  steam 

[ 


boiler  from  the  time  of  Hero  until  to-day.  Its  removal 
from  the  chain  of  useful  mechanical  appliances  would 
be  followed  by  a  complete  paralysis  of  the  world's 
present  material  prosperity  and  activity  and,  until 
some  other  means  of  storing  and  distributing  energy 
had  been  developed,  an  almost  total  paralysis  of 
commerce. 

In  the  earlier  days  steam  was  utilized  at  low 
pressures  of  only  a  few  pounds  above  the  atmosphere. 
Finding  that  an  increase  in  pressure  was  accompanied 
by  an  increase  in  the  amount  of  work  that  could  be 
done  per  pound  of  fuel  consumed,  boiler  makers 
gradually  changed  their  designs,  until  to-day  the 

86  ] 


latest  developments  of  water-tube  boilers  make  avail- 
able 150  to  200  pounds  in  stationary  and  up  to  300 
pounds'  pressure  per  square  inch  in  marine  service. 
Sufficient  energy  is  stored  in  one  of  the  old-fashioned 
plain  cylindrical  boilers  at  100  pounds'  steam  pressure 
to  project  it  to  a  height  of  over  3^  miles. 

A  cubic  foot  of  heated  water  in  an  ordinary  boiler 
carrying  70  pounds  of  steam  pressure  has  about  the 
same  explosive  energy  as  a  pound  of  gunpowder. 
That  some  forms  of  boilers  in  use  to-day  do  explode, 
is  witnessed  by  the  sad  list  of  casualties  from  this 
cause  every  year — in  fact  almost  daily. 

It  is  now  fully  established  by  the  experience  of 
Boiler  Insurance  Associations  in  this  country  and 
England,  that  all  of  the  mystery  of  boiler  explosions 
consists  in  a  want  of  sufficient  strength  to  withstand 
the  pressure.  This  lack  of  strength  may  be  inherent 
in  the  original  design  and  construction,  but  it  is  most 
frequently  the  effect  of  weakening  of  iron  and  steel 
by  strains  due  to  unequal  expansion  caused  by 
unequal  heating  of  different  parts  of  the  boiler,  or 
it  may  be  due  to  corrosion  from  long  use  or  im- 
proper care. 

The  first  element  of  safety  is  ample  strength, 
which  can  be  best  attained  in  connection  with  thin 
heating  surface  by  small  diameters  of  parts  under 
pressure. 

The  second  element  of  safety  is  the  prevention  of 
strains  from  expansion  or  other  forces  by  providing 
the  necessary  elasticity. 

The  third  element  of  safety  is  such  an  arrange- 
ment of  parts  that  when,  through  gross  carelessness 
or  oversight,  the  wrater  becomes  low  and  the  boiler 
overheated,  a  rupture,  if  it  occur,  shall  be  localized 
and  of  so  small  a  detail  that  no  serious  disaster  can 
follow. 

In  addition  to  being  safe,  a  boiler  must  be  econom- 
ical and  durable.  To  be  economical  the  heating 
surface  must  be  so  disposed  that  the  maximum 
amount  of  heat  shall  be  absorbed  from  the  heated 
products  of  combustion  by  the  water  in  the  boiler. 

To  be  durable,  all  parts  of  the  boiler  must  be 
readily  accessible  for  inspection  and  cleaning,  and 
must  be  so  assembled  and  of  such  material  as  to  be 
free  from  excessive  strains  and  deterioration  incidental 
to  the  various  extremes  of  temperature  and  to  the 
chemical  constituents  of  the  gases  and  water,  which 
are  necessarily  characteristic  of  the  process  of  steam 
generation. 

With  the  essential  properties  of  a  steam  boiler, 


safety,  economy  and  durability,  always  in  mind, 
The  Babcock  &  Wilcox  Company,  striving  to  turn 
out  the  best  boiler  that  money  could  buy,  have 
during  the  last  quarter  of  a  century  developed 
and  perfected  the  Babcock  &  Wilcox  Water-Tube 
Boiler. 

That  the  tubular  sectional  principle  of  construc- 
tion, its  distinguishing  feature,  fulfills  the  require- 


ments  of  safety  has  been  demonstrated  by  the  fact  that 
there  are  nearly  0,000,000  H.P.  of  Babcock  &  Wilcox 
boilers  in  use. 

That  they  arc  durable,  is  witnessed  by  the  fact  that 
practically  every  Babcock  &  Wilcox  boiler  which 
has  been  built  during  the  past  twenty-five  years  is  in 
use  to-day  carrying  the  steam  pressure  for  which  it 
was  designed. 

That  they  are  efficient,  is  at  least  indicated  by  the 
fact  that  the  entire  electric  transportation  system  of 
the  City  of  Greater  New  York,  including  surface, 
elevated,  and  subway  railroads,  the  electric  service 
of  the  New  York  Central  and  of  the  New  York, 
New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroads  are  all  operated 
from  central  power  stations  equipped  only  with 
the  product  of  The  Babcock  &  Wilcox  Company, 
as  are  all  of  the  central  stations  of  the  New  York 
Edison  Company,  which  controls  the  distribution 
of  electric  light  and  power  in  this  city. 

In  the  basement  of  the  Singer  Building  there  are 
installed  five  Babcock  &  Wilcox  sectional  water-tube 
boilers,  four  having  a  nominal  rating  of  400  H.P. 
each  and  one  having  a  nominal  rating  of  325  H.P., 
or  a  total  of  1,925  H.P.  They  can  in  case  of  neces- 
sity supply  and  continuously  develop  2,888  H.P. 
These  boilers  furnish  all  of  the  power  required  for 
the  operation  of  the  elevators  and  the  various  appa- 
ratus incidental  to  the  maintenance  and  operation  of 
this  great  building. 


[87  j 


DUMPING  GRATES 


THERE  were  four  sets  of  Thompson  dumping 
grates  in  use  under  the  boilers  in  the  old 
Singer  plant  for  almost  five  years. 
This  fact  caused  the  adoption  of  the  same  make 
of  grates  for  the  furnaces  of  the  five  large  Babcock 
&  Wilcox  boilers  in  the  new  Singer  Building. 

One  of  these  furnaces  is  7  feet,  4  inches  wide 
and  9  feet  long.  The  four  others  are  each  9 
feet  square,  making  a  total  of  390  square  feet 
of  grates. 

The  Thompson  grate  is  especially  designed  and 
adapted  for  burning  the  finer  grades  of  fuel,  such  as 
pea  coal,  Numbers  1,  %  and  3  buckwheat,  screenings, 
etc.  It  is  fitted  up  on  a  very  substantial  frame  with 
adjustable  legs,  and  is  independent  of  all  brick 
work. 

The  frames  and  rockers  are  not  subject  to  intense 
heat,  and  are  practically  indestructible.  The  grates 
are  interchangeable. 

[ 


The  illustration  represents  a  set  of  Thompson 
dumping  grates  as  installed  in  one  of  the  9x9  foot 
furnaces,  with  the  two  front  sections  of  right  side 
dumped.  They  are  made  with  J-inch  air  space  and 
burn  No.  2  buckwheat  coal.  They  are  operated  in 
nine  sections,  three  in  width  and  three  in  length. 
To  clean  the  fire,  the  ashpit  doors  are  partly  closed, 
the  live  coal  pushed  back  from  the  two  front  sections, 
which  are  connected  and  dumped  together,  then  the 
coal  is  drawn  forward  and  the  back  section  dumped, 
the  coal  then  spread  and  fired  up;  the  same  operation 
is  performed  on  each  section,  and  the  entire  furnace 
is  thoroughly  cleaned  and  fired  up  in  from  four  to 
five  minutes  without  waste  of  coal  and  but  slight  drop 
in  steam  pressure;  the  ashes  and  clinkers  are  then 
wetted  down  and  taken  out  at  leisure,  all  dust  being 
avoided. 

These  grates  were  made  and  installed  by  Richard 
Thompson  &  Co.,  No.  126  Liberty  Street,  New  York. 

] 


THE  BALANCED  DRAFT  SYSTEM  OF  FURNACE  REGULATION 


IT  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that  many  of  the  modern 
skyscraper  office  buildings,  as  well  as  the  big 
industrial  steam  plants  and  power  houses 
throughout  the  country,  are  equipped  with  the  Bal- 
anced Draft  System  of  Furnace  Regulation,  under 
patents  owned  by  The  Engineer  Company,  No.  50 
Church  Street,  New  York. 

The  large  buildings  in  lower  Manhattan  contain 
more  than  15,000  H.  P.  of  steam  boilers  equipped 
with  the  Balanced  Draft  System.  This  system  auto- 
matically controls  the  air  supplied  to  the  furnace  and 
limits  it  to  practically  the  theoretical  amount  required 
to  burn  enough  coal  to  maintain  steam  pressure. 
Any  excess  of  air  beyond  this  amount  would  dilute 
the  gases,  reduce  the  furnace  temperature  and,  con- 
sequently, the  efficiency  of  the  furnace  and  boiler. 

In  order  to  attain  this  limiting  of  the  air  supply, 
the  draft  is  "balanced"  and  atmospheric  pressure  is 
maintained  in  the  furnace  chamber  at  the  fire  door. 
So  long  as  this  condition  is  maintained,  only  enough 
air  to  support  combustion  passes  through  the  bed  of 
fuel  and  no  excess  is  drawn  in  through  the  open  door 


or  through  cracks  and  crevices  in  the  brick  work 
above  the  grate.  This  balance  is  automatically  main- 
tained for  all  rates  of  combustion  and  all  conditions 
of  the  fire. 

The  Balanced  Draft  System  reduces  the  fuel  bills, 
by  limiting  the  amount  of  coal  burned  to  the  minimum 
necessary  to  keep  up  the  boiler  pressure,  irrespective 
of  the  amount  that  is  fed  into  the  furnace. 

In  the  combustion  of  fuel  in  a  steam-boiler  furnace 
two  elements  are  to  be  considered:  the  fuel  and  the 
air.  The  latter  is  supplied  by  either  natural  or 
artificial  draft  and  is  either  drawn  or  forced  through 
the  furnace.  In  the  ordinary  boiler  furnace,  the 
lack  of  correspondence  between  the  air  supplied  and 
the  varying  load  on  the  boiler  causes  much  waste 
of  coal,  even  with  mechanical  stokers  or  good  hand 
firing.  Every  pound  of  coal  burned  on  the  grate 
needs  just  so  much  air  to  make  it  give  the  maximum 
intensity  of  heat.  Under  ordinary  conditions  the  air 
supplied  is  controlled  by  regulating  either  the  suction 
of  the  chimney  or  the  pressure  of  the  forced  draft. 
With  Balanced  Draft,  both  the  air  supplied  to  the 

89  ] 


THE  EAST  RIVER  AND  THE  BROOKLYN  BRIDGES  FROM  THE  SINGER  TOWER 


furnace  and  the  exhaust  of  gases  from  the  furnace 
are  under  perfect  control  and  bear  a  fixed  relation 
to  each  other  for  all  rates  of  combustion.  Balanced 
Draft,  therefore,  checks  the  waste  of  coal  by  auto- 
matically varying  both  the  air  supply  to  the  furnace 
and  the  throttling  of  the  gases  passing  to  the  chimney, 
thereby  controlling  the  combustion  according  to  the 
evaporation,  and  maintaining  it  at  its  maximum  effi- 
ciency under  all  conditions  of  load  on  the  boiler. 

That  the  Balanced-Draft  System  plays  a  very 
important  part  in  the  economy  of  the  boiler  plant  in 
the  Singer  Building  is  very  clearly  shown  by  the 
results  of  the  official  tests,  which  indicate  the  evap- 
oration from  and  at  212°  F.  of  10.3  pounds  of  water 
per  pound  of  No.  2  buckwheat  coal  costing  $2.75 
per  ton  delivered. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  this  plant  develops  a 
kilowatt  hour  from  three  pounds  of  No.  2  buck- 
wheat coal  at  a  cost  of  of  a  cent.  These 
results  clearly  demonstrate  the  plant  in  the  Singer 
Building  to  be  one  of  the  most  economical  in 
the  country  and  to  compare  very  favorably  with 
the  great  electric-power  generating  plants.  The 
effect  of  limiting  the  air  supply  by  the  Balanced- 
Draft  System  is  clearly  shown  by  the  CO2  recorder, 
which  shows  an  average  of  16  per  cent.  CO2  in  the 
flue  gases  while  the  foregoing  results  are  being  ob- 
tained. 

[ 


SMOKE  BREECHING  AND  DUCT  FOR 
BALANCED  DRAFT 

The  smoke  breeching  for  the  battery  of  five  • 
boilers,  aggregating  about  2,000  nominal  II. P.,  con- 
sists of  No.  10  gauge  black  iron  stiffened  with  2^- 
inch  angle  irons  placed  3  feet  on  centers.  There 
are  several  clean-out  doors  and  a  main  damper  on 
roller  bearings.  On  account  of  its  great  size  it  was 
made  of  two  sheets  of  steel  riveted  together  with 
channel  braces. 

The  breeching  is  4  ft.  x  6  ft.  6  in.  at  the  ex- 
treme end  and  increases  gradually  to  6  ft.  6  in. 
x  9  ft.  where  it  enters  the  vertical  smoke  stack.  It 
is  covered  throughout  its  entire  length  with  2  inch  85 
per  cent,  carbonate  of  magnesia  blocks,  on  a  wire  lath 
foundation,  leaving  an  air  space  of  1  inch  between 
the  covering  and  the  flue.  The  outside  is  finished 
with  magnesia  plaster  having  a  hard,  smooth  finish. 

The  entire  equipment  was  installed  by  Edwin 
Burhorn,  No.  71  Wall  Street,  who  also  furnished  the 
galvanized-iron  duct  work  connecting  the  balanced- 
draft  blower  with  the  ashpits  of  the  boilers.  This 
work  is  constructed  of  galvanized  iron  up  to  the  rear 
wall  and  of  hard-burned  salt-glazed  tile  pipe  under 
each  boiler.  To  install  it  so  as  not  to  interfere 
with  the  concrete  foundations  required  considerable 
ingenuity. 

] 


VACUUM  CLEANER  SYSTEM 


VACUUM 
PUMPS 


NOT  least  among  the  mechanical  features 
which  have  been  introduced  into  the  Singer 
Building  is  the  Vacuum  Cleaner  System, 
which  is  one  of  the  largest  that  has  been  installed 
in  New  York  City. 

This  equipment  is  a  special  feature  in  the  Singer 
Building.  It  is  not  only  designed  to  take  care  of 
the  regular  cleaning  of  the  halls,  offices,  walls,  rugs, 
etc.,  but  a  special  Vacuum  Cleaner  is  installed  in  each 
office,  or  suite  of  offices,  for  the  use  of  tenants.  The 
vacuum  is  maintained  on  this  special  system  at  all 
hours  of  the  usual  office  day  and  can  be  used  by  the 
tenant  at  his  convenience. 

The  vacuum  pumps  used  with  this  system,  con- 
stituting a  very  important  part  of  it,  are  arranged 
in  three  units,  there  being  two 
large  units,  each  having  capacity  to 
operate  twelve  to  fifteen  sweepers, 
and  one  small  unit  with  a  capacity  to  operate  four 
to  eight  sweepers.  These  pumps  are  of  the  horizontal 
steam-driven  pattern,  and  are  fitted  with  Cincinnati 
Gear  Air  Cylinders. 

The  governor  used  with  the  pumps  is  especially 
designed  for  this  class  of  work  and  is  a  combination 
speed  and  vacuum  governor,  the  speed  feature  of 
which  is  very  similar  to  the  usual  engine  governor; 
it  is  a  limiting  device  which  controls  the  speed  of  the 
pump.  The  vacuum  part  of  the  governor  is  arranged 
so  that  it  can  be  set  for  any  desired  vacuum,  and  in 
action  will  reduce  the  speed  from  the  maximum 
maintained  by  the  speed  governor  to  whatever  lower 
limit  of  speed  is  necessary  to  prevent  the  vacuum 
exceeding  the  limit  for  which  governors  are  set.  Thus 
the  action  of  the  complete  governor  maintains  a 
uniform  vacuum  up  to  the  limit  of  the  capacity  of 
the  pump.  Under  this  arrangement  excessive  vacu- 
um is  entirely  avoided  and  the  pumps  are  operated 
only  to  the  extent  required,  so  as  to  secure  the  utmost 
economy  in  consumption  of  steam. 

The  system  of  dust  separation  is  what  is  known 
as  "double  separation,"  being  a  combination  of  dry 
and  wet  separators.  It  consists  of 
two  large  galvanized  iron  tanks,  the 
first  of  which  receives  the  dust- 
laden  air  from  the  building,  and  by  a  combination 
of  centrifugal  action  and  gravitation  precipitates  all 
the  dust  from  the  air,  excepting  that  which  is  so 
light  as  to  follow  the  air  currents. 

From  the  dry  separator  the  air  containing  the 
light  dust  is  discharged  into  the  wet  separators  below 
the  water  line,  and  there,  by  special  means,  is  broken 

[91 


DUST 

SEPARATION 


up  into  very  small  particles  and  forced  through  the 
water  in  such  a  manner  as  to  eliminate  every  particle 
of  dust,  and  allow  the  air,  free  from  dust,  to  pass  to 
and  through  the  cylinders  of  the  pumps,  and  from 
there  to  the  outer  atmosphere. 

The  system  of  vacuum  pipes  in  the  Singer  Building 
is  naturally  very  elaborate  and  extensive  and  consists 

,,,„.„,..  of  a  series  of  mains  in  the  sub- 

VACUUM  n      *  u-  i  u  c 

pjpgg  cellar,  from  which   a  number  ot 

risers  are  taken  off  and  extended  up 

through  the  building,  some  of  them  to  the  top  of 

the  Tower. 

The  risers  for  the  special  service  in  the  offices 
are  kept  separate  from  the  risers  for  general  cleansing, 
though  all  are  connected  to  the  same  system  of 
horizontal  pipes  already  referred  to.  Outlets  are 
placed  in  the  various  risers  in  each  story,  to  which 
are  attached  special  fittings  arranged  for  connection 
of  the  vacuum  hose. 

The  arrangement  of  hose,  renovators,  etc.,  in  this 
building  is  not  materially  different  from  any  other 
vacuum  cleaner  system. 

The  special  service  for  the  use  of  tenants  con- 
sists of  ^-inch  outlets  arranged  under  each  lavatory 
throughout  the  building,  of  which 
there  are  nearly  four  hundred,  to 
which  is  permanently  attached  a 
short  length  of  ^-inch  hose.  This 
hose  is  arranged  to  coil  up  and  be  supported  on 
special  hooks  under  the  lavatory,  and  attached  to  its 
end  is  a  specially  designed  renovator  for  cleaning 
hats,  clothing,  etc. 

The  vacuum  is  on  this  system  at  all  times,  right 
up  to  the  renovator  itself.  To  avoid  the  intake  of 
air,  with  its  corresponding  noise,  which  would  exist 
if  these  renovators  were  not  closed  off  when  out  of 
use,  they  are  fitted  with  an  automatic  closing  valve, 
which  is  easily  operated  by  the  thumb,  and  is  held 
open  during  the  entire  period  of  use.  The  release 
of  the  renovator  causes  the  closing  of  the  valve. 

These  hat  and  coat  renovators  were  designed  and 
first  used  in  this  building,  and  as  a  matter  of  fact  have 
not  been  used  in  any  other  building  up  to  this  time. 

This  special  vacuum  system  for  the  convenience 
and  comfort  of  the  tenants,  places  this  building  in  a 
somewhat  higher  position  from  the  rental  standpoint 
than  other  office  buildings  not  so  equipped. 

The  installation  of  the  entire  Vacuum  Cleaner  Sys- 
tem was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Vacuum  Cleaner 
Company,  with  general  offices  at  No.  425  Fifth  Ave- 
nue, New  York,  and  factories  at  Plainfield,  N.  J. 

] 


SPECIAL 
SERVICE  FOR 
TENANTS 


HOT  WATER  FOR  DOMESTIC  PURPOSES 


A  LL  of  the  hot  water  used  in  the  Singer  Build- 
/-\  ing  for  domestic  purposes,  through  2,500 
hot -water  faucets  and  125  slop  sinks,  is 
supplied  by  two  Patterson  Hot -Water  Service 
Heaters,  manufactured  by  Frank  L.  Patterson  &• 
Co.,  No.  26  Cortlandt  Street,  New  York.  Works  at 
Passaic,  N.  J. 

These  heaters  are  of  the  horizontal  type,  as 
shown  in  the  accompanying  illustration,  and  are 
suspended  from  the  ceiling  of  the  compressor  room. 
The  shells  of  these  heaters  are  of  boiler  plate.  The 
tube  heads  and  exhaust  steam  chambers  are  of  cast 
iron,  as  are  also  the  removable  heads.  The  tubes  are 
of  "U"  shaped  seamless  drawn  brass,  a  form  that 
provides  for  the  free  contraction  and  expansion  of 
every  individual  tube.  Each  end  is  secured  in  the 
heavy  tube  head  by  means  of  a  roller  expander. 

In  operation,  the  cold  water  enters  the  bottom 
of  the  shell  near  one  end  and,  after  being  heated  to  a 
temperature  of  180°  P.,  leaves  the  top  at  the  other 
end.  There  is  ample  storage  capacity,  so  that  a 
sudden  demand  is  provided  for  at  all  times. 

The  largest  heater  is  32  inches  in  diameter  and 
128  inches  long.  It  has  a  storage  capacity  of  280 
gallons  and  contains  100  square  feet  of  tubes  1^  inch 
in  diameter.  This  heater  is  built  for  a  pressure  of 
150  pounds  per  square  inch  and  supplies  all  of  the 
hot  wrater  used  in  the  building  exclusive  of  the  Tower. 
The  smaller  heater  is  28  inches  in  diameter  and  108 


inches  long.  It  contains  75  square  feet  of  tubes  1^ 
inch  in  diameter  and  has  a  storage  capacity  of 
160  gallons.  This  heater  is  built  for  a  pressure 
of  500  pounds  per  square  inch  and  furnishes  all 
of  the  hot  water  used  in  the  halls  and  rooms  of  the 
Tower. 

The  pipe  connections  of  both  heaters  are  as 
follows : 

The  inlets  for  the  cold  water  and  the  outlets  for 
the  hot  water  are  2^  inches  and  the  steam  inlets  and 
outlets  are  4  inches  in  diameter.  The  outlets  for  the 
condensed  steam  are  lj  inch  and  the  blow-off  con- 
nections are  also  lj  inch  in  diameter. 

A  particularly  valuable  feature  in  connection  with 
the  heaters  is  the  removable  heads,  which  are  far 
superior  to  the  usual  manhole,  because  the  opening 
is  equal  to  the  full  diameter  of  the  shell  and  gives 
free  access  to  the  interior  without  disconnecting  any 
pipes. 

Another  distinctive  feature  lies  in  the  Patterson 
method  of  supporting  the  horizontal  tubes.  A  per- 
forated semi-disk  of  lead,  drilled  to  match  the  lower 
half  of  the  tube  head,  is  placed  near  the  free  end  of 
the  tubes.  The  lower  half  of  each  "U"  shaped 
tube  passes  through  it  and  may  move  freely,  as 
required  by  its  contraction  and  expansion,  without 
damage  to  itself.  The  lead,  being  softer,  receives 
the  wear  that  would  come  on  the  thin  brass  tubes  if 
the  usual  iron  frame  were  used. 


FEED  WATER  HEATER 


THE  Linton  Combination  Feed-Water  Heater, 
Purifier,  Oil  Separator,  Muffler,  Return 
Tank  and  Pump  Governor,  installed  in  the 
Singer  Building,  performs  all  the  functions  indicated 
by  its  title. 

It  is  primarily  an  "open"  feed-water  heater,  is  of 
the  horizontal  type  and  is  72  inches  in  diameter  and 
144  inches  long.  The  exhaust  steam  inlet  and  out- 
let connections  are  20  inches  in  diameter.  This 
Combination  contains  some  new  and  improved 
features,  especial  attention  being  given  to  the  satis- 
factory separation  of  the  oil  from  the  exhaust  steam 
and  for  accessibility  to  the  interior.  The  exhaust 
steam  upon  entering  is  introduced  into  the  large 
expansion  chamber  where  its  velocity  is  greatly  re- 
tarded, from  there  it  passes  through  a  perforated  baffle 
plate  where  it  is  broken  up,  and  thence  through  the 
separating  screens.  These  screens  are  of  j-inch  wire 
mesh  and  thoroughly  remove  all  oil  in  the  exhaust 
allowing  it  to  be  used  in  the  heating  system  of  the 
building  and  the  returns  from  same  to  be  taken  back 
to  the  heater  and  from  there  into  the  boilers.  The 
oil  is  drained  off  to  be  re-used  and  the  steam  passes 

[ 


on,  over  and  around  the  heating  trays  where  it  mingles 
with  the  feed  water,  heating  it  to  its  temperature, 
212°  F.  A  perfectly  tight  diaphragm  prevents  the 
liberated  oil  from  coming  in  contact  with  the  feed 
water.  The  entire  heads  of  the  Combination  are  re- 
movable without  disturbing  any  connections,  which  al- 
lows the  whole  interior  to  be  readily  examined  and  the 
trays,  filter  box  and  screens  to  be  easily  removed,  mak- 
ing it  the  most  accessible  of  any  heater  manufactured. 

As  the  returns  from  the  heating  system  of  the 
building  form  a  considerable  part  of  the  feed  water 
but  little  fresh  cold  water  is  introduced.  The  feed 
water  passes  from  tray  to  tray  in  opposite  directions 
and  from  there  into  the  filter  box  where  it  is  filtered 
through  coke  and  looses  any  foreign  matter  that  has 
already  been  deposited  on  the  heating  trays.  It  is 
then  pumped  to  the  boilers,  this  being  automatically 
controlled  by  the  pump  governor,  a  part  of  the  Com- 
bination, consisting  of  a  special  balanced  valve  oper- 
ated by  a  copper  float. 

The  Linton  Combination  is  manufactured  by  the 
Linton  Machine  Company,  No.  26  Cortlandt  Street, 
New  York  City. 

93  ] 


INSULATION 


HEAT 

INSULATION 


NON=CONDUCT= 
INO  CEILING 


ONE  of  the  many  and  varied  problems  in  con- 
nection   with    the    mechanical  equipment 
of   the   Singer  Building  is  that   of  Heat 
Insulation. 

In  order  best  to  conserve  all  of  the  immense  energy, 
to  effect  and  maintain  the  highest  degree  of  efficiency 
commensurate  with  that  splendid 
work  of  the  craftsmen,  the  Power 
Plant,  the  use  of  the  best  methods 
and  materials  attainable  was  essential. 

To  the  Robert  A.  Keasbey  Co.,  No.  100  North 
Moore  Street,  New  York,  was  intrusted  a  very  large 
part  of  this  important  detail  of  equipment. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  features  of  this  work 
is  the  non-conducting  fireproof  ceiling  suspended 
over  the  machinery  rooms,  about  14 
inches  below  and  supported  from 
the  main  floor  structural  framing 
by  galvanized  flat  iron,  carrying  tee  and  angle  irons 
so  arranged  that  frames  are  formed,  into  which  are 
set  85  per  cent,  carbonate  of  magnesia  blocks  2 
inches  thick,  over  which  is  stretched  2-inch  galvanized 
hexagon  mesh  wire,  tightly  drawn  and  secured.  On 
this  is  applied  a  coat  of  85  per  cent,  carbonate  of 
magnesia  plaster  ^  inch  thick,  finished  with  two 
coats  of  hard  finishing  cement. 

This  construction  permits  the  circulation  of  air 
by  means  of  blowers,  completely  baffling  the  radiation 
of  heat,  either  from  above  or  below  the  ceiling,  and 
presents  a  uniformly  good  appearance. 

Heated  surfaces  lose  heat  through  radiation  and 
conduction  when  coming  into  contact  with  a  cooler 
body  or  element.  This  principle 
was  constantly  borne  in  mind  when 
insulating  the  14-inch  main  steam 
header,  the  20-inch  exhaust  line, 
the  hot-  and  cold-water  circulating  lines,  feed-water 
heater,  blow-off  and  drip  tanks,  engine  cylinders, 
ducts  and  flue. 

Pipes  and  boilers  carrying  steam  at  212°  F.  and 
upward  coming  into  direct  contact  with  the  surround- 
ing atmosphere,  the  temperature  of  which  seldom 
reaches  100°  F.,  lose  a  large  percentage  of  heat 
through  radiation.  This  loss  causes  condensation, 
which  must  be  overcome  to  maintain  the  plant's 
efficiency,  and  the  only  recourse  is  the  excessive  use 
of  fuel. 

A  recent  test  shows  that  the  saving  of  fuel,  taking 
steam  at  100  pounds'  pressure  through  a  bare  pipe, 

[  94 


ECONOMY  OF 
GOOD 

INSULATION 


as  compared  with  its  conveyance  through  a  properly 
insulated  pipe,  will  amount  to  more  than  $1,217  per 
year  for  each  square  foot  of  pipe;  the  formula  of 
computation  being  as  follows: 

Steam  at  100  pounds'  pressure,  bare  pipe,  loses  per 
square  foot,  iron  measure,  a  minute,  13  B.  T.  U. ; 
by  covering  with  85  per  cent,  carbonate  of  magnesia 
sections  1.196  inches  thick,  the  loss  per  square  foot, 
iron  measure,  per  minute,  is  2.13  B.  T.  U. ;  therefore, 
13—2.13  =  10.87  B.  T.  U.  saved. 

Saving  by  the  use  of  good  insulation:  10.87  B.  T. 
U.  X  525600  minutes  in  a  year — 875  Latent  Heat 
Units  in  1  lb.  of  steam  at  100  lbs.  pressure  =  6530.6 
lbs.  of  water  condensed  (saved)  —  8  lbs.  of  water 
evaporated  per  pound  of  coal  =  816.32  lbs.  of  coal 
saved  at  $3  per  ton  =  $1,217  saved  per  year  per  square 
foot  of  iron  covered. 

Some  idea  of  the  saving  at  the  Singer  Plant  result- 
ing from  the  method  used  and  quality  of  the  insula- 
tion furnished  may  be  had  when  one  comprehends: 
First,  the  boiler  pressure  is  200  pounds. 
Second,  there  are  about  75,000  square  feet  of 
steam  surfaces,  or  about  2  acres,  insulated  with  85  per 
cent,  carbonate  of  magnesia  in  scientifically  deter- 
mined thicknesses,  ranging  from  ^  inch  to  4  inches. 

In  this  manner  the  heat  in  the  lines  is  confined, 
preventing  its  loss  through  radiation,  conduction  or 
condensation. 

Fuel  is  the  most  expensive  item  of  cost  in  the 
operation  of  a  power  plant,  and  the  saving  of  fuel  is 
an  important  factor  in  the  earnings  of  any  plant 
large  or  small,  tremendously  so  in  the  Power  Plant 
designed  to  equip  the  Singer  Building. 

Concerning  the  9,000  square  feet  exposed  sur- 
faces of  brine,  ammonia  and  ice-water  lines  in 
connection  with  the  compression 
machine,  one  need  only  realize  that 
the  1^-inch  ice-water  lines  in  base- 
ment discharge  water  at  38°,  at  the  extreme  top  of 
Tower,  612  feet  above  street  level,  with  outlets  in 
almost  every  room. 

Cooled  surfaces,  i.  e.,  brine  and  ammonia  lines, 
lose  efficiency  through  absorption  when  coming  into 
contact  with  a  warmer  body  or  element. 

Cork,  by  nature,  contains  an  infinite  number  of 

  „  entrapped    air   cells,   rendering  it 

CORK  AS  A 

_  J.  ^  an  excellent  non-conductor  of  heat 

NON-CONDUCTOR  ^  co]d;  ig  m.y  ^  jn  weight  ^ 

will  not  absorb  moisture,  hence  its  use. 

J 


COLD 

INSULATION 


STEAM  ENGINES 


THE  prime  movers  in  the  Power  Plant  of  the 
Singer  Building  consist  of  five  Ball  & 
Wood  Corliss  Valve,  Non-Releasing  Gear 
Engines  of  the  following  types  and  normal  ratings: 
Two  Cross  Compounds  having  high-pressure  cyl- 
inders, 17  inches  diameter,  low-pressure  cylinders 
29  inches  diameter,  length  of  stroke  27  inches;  two 
Simples,  each  having  cylinders  21  inches  diameter,  27 
inches  length  of  stroke,  all  of  480  H.P.  each;  and  one 
Simple,  having  cylinder  17  inches  diameter,  length  of 
stroke  27  inches,  and  rated  320  H.P. 

Each  engine  operates  at  a  speed  of  150  revolutions 
per  minute  at  150  pounds'  steam  pressure  with  free 
atmospheric  exhaust  and  is  directly  connected  to  a 
direct  current  Diehl  Generator. 

The  Ball  &  Wood  Company  is  the  originator  and 
builder  of  the  first  successful  Non-releasing  Gear, 
Corliss  Valve  Engine,  and  during  the  past  fifteen  years 
has  installed  many  in  some  of  the  most  prominent 
power  plants  in  the  country. 

The  aim  of  the  originator  was  to  realize  all  of  the 
advantages  of  the  Corliss  Valve  and  to  eliminate  the 
disadvantages  resulting  from  the  releasing  gear. 
The  steam  economies  realized,  as  well  as  the  well- 
proved  ability  to  carry  not  only  loads  at  ratings  but 

[ 


heavy  overloads,  justify  the  Company's  plan.  The 
admission  valves  of  the  high-  and  low-pressure  cylin- 
ders are  controlled  by  the  Ball  &  Wood  Governor, 
while  the  exhaust  valves  are  actuated  through  inde- 
pendent eccentrics.  Wide  range  of  cut-off  is  thus  ob- 
tained and  great  flexibility  in  adjustment  permissible. 
Not  only  is  the  steam  economy  of  the  best,  but  the 
floor  space  required  per  horse-power  very  much  less 
than  that  demanded  by  the  releasing  gear  types.  At 
the  same  time  a  higher  mechanical  efficiency  results. 

Under  variable  load  conditions  the  mean  economy 
shows  the  advantage  of  the  Ball  &  Wood  System. 

An  important  feature  of  any  power  plant,  especial- 
ly when  high  pressures  are  carried,  is  the  steam  piping. 
The  best  types  of  engines  and  boilers  may  be  installed 
and  the  plant  fail  because  of  unreliable  piping.  The 
Ball  &  Wood  Company,  believing,  as  it  does,  in  the 
best  methods,  recognized  the  weakness  in  any  system 
in  which  joints  could  leak,  even  in  cases  of  installations 
in  which  it  was  the  purpose  and  plan  of  the  engineers 
and  purchasers  to  apply  the  best  methods,  and  to  this 
end  developed  what  is  now  well  known  as  the  Ball- 
Wood  Welded  Flanged  Pipe  and  Bends.  The  boilers 
of  the  Singer  Building  Power  Plant  are  fitted  with 
the  Ball- Wood  Welded  Flanged  Pipe  and  Pipe  Bends. 

95  ] 


VALVE  INSTALLATION 


PILOT  VALVE 

EACH  of  the  five  boilers  (four  400  H.P.  and 
one  320  H.P.)  in  the  Singer  Building  are 
fitted  with  the  Foster  Engineering  Company's 
Combination,  Automatic  Non-Return  and  Emer- 
gency Stop  Valves.    (See  illustration.) 

These  valves  are  used  for  preventing  a  back-flow 
of  steam  into  a  broken  or  defective  boiler  in  the  event 

dii  ftT  nn  °f       blowing  out  of  a  tube,  poor 

FILU1   UK  n  •  j        •  ,  ,1 

qtpam  rnv         firing,  a  drop  in  pressure,  etc.,  the 

«r1¥,r«r.  valves  automatically  closing  it  the 
ERNINQ  VALVES  ,     ,  J    ,  .V 6  , 

header  pressure  exceeds  the  boiler 

pressure  slightly,  remaining  open  when  the  pressure 
of  the  five  boilers  is  equalized.  In  addition,  they 
also  automatically  close,  cutting  off  the  entire  bat- 
tery of  five  boilers  should  the  header  or  any  of  the 
steam  lines  break,  or  in  the  event  of  a  rupture,  etc. 

On  the  face  of  each  boiler,  mounted  on  the 
polished  brick  surface,  is  located  the  Pilot  or  Govern- 
ing Valve;  the  diaphragm  chamber  of  this  valve  is 
connected  by  a  system  of  extra  heavy  brass  auxiliary 
piping  (concealed  within  the  wall)  to  the  header 
and  the  main  steam  line.  There  are  two  connections 
to  this  Pilot  Valve:  one  on  the  inlet  side  takes  steam 
from  the  boiler  direct  and  remains  closed  under 
normal  conditions.  The  outlet  or  discharge  side 
of  this  Pilot  Valve  is  connected  to  the  closing  piston 
of  the  main  boiler  valve. 

In  the  event  of  a  rupture,  as  above  referred  to, 

[9( 


the  pressure  in  the  diaphragm  chamber  drops, 
opening  the  Pilot  Valve  and  allowing  the  steam 
from  the  boiler  to  pass  through  it  to  the  closing 
piston,  thus  closing  the  valves  automatically. 

This  Pilot  or  Governing  Valve  is  highly  polished 
and  finished  and  presents  an  attractive  appearance. 
On  the  inlet  connection,  just  within  the  union,  is 
located  a  small  strainer,  which  serves  to  prevent  the 
passage  of  foreign  matter  that  may  be  carried  through 
the  pipe,  thus  preventing  the  Governing  Valve  from 
leaking. 

Each  Pilot  Valve  is  equipped  with  two  gauges,  fin- 
ished and  polished,  one  indicating  the  boiler  pressure 
and  the  other  the  line  pressure,  so  that  at  a  glance  the 
engineers  can  note  the  pressure  on  their  lines  at  all  times. 

At  a  point  some  250  feet  distant  from  the  boiler 
room,  in  the  Chief  Engineer's  office,  there  are  located 
FMFPrFNfV         on  wa^  anc^  mounted  on  an 

VALVES  elaborately  finished  marble  gauge 

board  of  unique  design,  five  emer- 
gency valves  (one  for  each  boiler). 

These  emergency  valves  are  simply  f-inch  brass- 
finished  globe  valves,  each  equipped  with  a  polished 
gauge  that  records  the  main  steam-line  pressure. 
By  their  use  the  Chief  Engineer,  without  leaving 
his  chair,  can  by  the  mere  cracking  of  one  of  these 
valves  cut  out  or  control 
any  one  or  all  of  the  boil- 
ers in  the  battery  at  will. 

These  valves  are  like- 
wise connected  with  the 
Pilot  or  Governing  Valve 
in  the  boiler  room  by 
the  brass  auxiliary  pip- 
ing carried  through  the 
building  and  concealed 
within  the  walls. 

Opening  one  of  the 
Emergency  Valves  bleeds 
the  steam  from  the  dia- 
phragm chamber  of  the 
distant  Pilot  or  Governing 
Valve,  having  the  same  ef- 
fect on  the  main  valve  as 
a  break  in  the  line,  be- 
cause it  then  admits  boiler  pressure  through  the  Pilot 
to  its  closing  piston,  thus  automatically  bringing  the 
main  boiler  valve  to  its  seat  as  previously  explained. 

This  emergency  feature  is  particularly  valuable 
to  the  Chief  Engineer,  as  it  not  only  permits  him  to 
control  any  boiler  at  will  without  the  necessity  of 

] 


EMERGENCY  VALVE 


DIVISION  VALVE 


operating  the  hand  wheel  of  the  main  valve  on  the 
top  of  the  boiler,  but  it  also  provides  means  for  clos- 
ing off  the  entire  battery  in  case  of  emergency. 

The  small  quantity  of  steam  that  is  bled  through 

these  emergency  valves 
when  used  as  described 
is  conveyed  to  a  brass 
manifold,  highly  polished, 
immediately  beneath  the 
gauge  board,  and  from 
thence  is  carried  off  be- 
neath the  floors.  The 
whole  arrangement  is  neat 
and  compact  and  presents 
a  very  pleasing  appear- 
ance as  one  enters  the 
Chief  Engineer's  office. 
It  not  only  insures  auto- 
matic control  of  each  or 
all  of  the  boilers,  but  also 
manual  control  without 
the  necessity  of  access  to 
the  top  of  the  boilers. 
On  the  12-inch  main  steam  lines,  midway  on 
each  side,  are  located  two  12-inch  Foster  Special 

con^i  1 1   rw\/i  Division  Valves,  steam  actuated. 

SPECIAL  Dm=  T  £ 

cihm  vaivps  event  ot  a  rupture  m 

VALVfcJ>  any  of  the  steam  jines>  and  after 

the  automatic  cutting  out  of  the  boilers,  as  pre- 
viously described,  the  broken  section  of  the  main 
line  can  be  isolated  by  the  opening  of  a  fourway 
cock,  controlled  by  a  chain  (by  which  steam  is  ad- 
mitted to  the  closing  piston),  closing  off  these  Divi- 
sion Valves  and  permitting  steam  to  be  thrown  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  header  and  the  building, 
thus  allowing  the  operation  of  the  various  units  not 
affected  by  the  rupture,  without  hindrance  or  with- 
out loss  of  service  during  the  time  required  to  make 
repairs  to  the  broken  side. 

These  valves  are  especially  efficient  in  that  they 
insure  against  the  complete  closing  for  any  length 
of  time  of  the  entire  plant  in  the  event  of  an  accident 
to  either  side  of  the  header.  They  are  heavy  and 
substantial  looking  and  sensitive  in  their  operation. 

On  the  Balanced  Draft  Equipment  to  the  boilers, 
controlling  the  engine  feeding  the  blower,  is  con- 
nected a  Foster  Automatic  Fan  Engine  Regulating 
Valve,  operating  within  a  variation  of  a  pound  and 
FAN  ENGINE  a  ^a^'  ^  drop  in  the  boiler  pres- 
DPrni  ati Mr        sure  ailtomatically  opens  this  valve, 

V  |  u  p  feeds  steam  to  the  enSine  and  ac_ 

VALV  t  celerates  the  speed  of  the  blower. 

When  steam  reaches  the  adjusted  boiler  pressure, 

the  valve  automatically  stops  the  fan  engine.    It  is 

likewise  provided  with  a  limit  screw  for  controlling 


the  speed  of  the  fan  engine  and  has  a  by-pass  arrange- 
ment by  which  the  engine  can  be  kept  creeping  with- 
out load  when  the  boiler  pressure  is  at  its  normal 
height. 

On  the  heating  system  the  Foster  Engineering 
Company's  special  regulating  valve  is  installed,  re- 
SPECIAL  VALVES  duc^nS  boiler  pressure  to  the  re- 
FOR  HEATING  °iuired  heating  pressure  for  the 
SVSTFM  building. 

^¥:5IC'Y1  On  the  20-inch  automatic  ex- 

haust line  from  the  heating  lines  is  mounted  a  20- 
inch  Foster  Back- Pressure  Valve,  of  unique  design 
and  construction,  without  outside  dash  pots,  levers, 
or  weights,  maintaining  a  constant  back  pressure 
on  the  heating  system  and  automatically  opening  to 
the  atmosphere  when  steam  is  reached  beyond  the 
adjusted  amount. 

The  high-  and  low-duty  water  pumps  are  fitted 
with  a  Foster  Special  Class  G  Auxiliary  Operated 
PUMP  GOVERN-  ^*umP  Governor  (see  illustration), 
im/-  »/ii»7r-o  for  controlling  the  water  discharge, 
ING  VALVES  •  .  •  •     &      .    .  b  , 

maintaining  a  constant  pressure  and 

preventing  the  pump  from  racing.  These  governors 
work  within  a  very  close  regulation  and  are  of  an 
attractive  design.  They  are  all  composition,  fitted 
with  small  phosphor  bronze  diaphragms. 

The  plant  is  also  fitted  with  Foster  regulating  and 
reducing  valves  on  the  line  to  the  hot-water  tanks, 
MISCELLANE-      °n       neating  line  to  the  oil  tanks, 

OUS  VALVES       anC^  °n       a^r  ^ne  ^°  s^ermzers 
of  the  barber  shop  and  chiropodist 

and  manicuring  parlors.  These  valves  are  all  of  the 
Special  Class  G  construction,  single  seated,  auxiliary 
operated,  regulating  within  a  close 
degree;  a  special  valve  of  a  simi- 
lar construction  is  likewise  placed 
on  the  air  lines  operating  the 
handsomely  finished  bronze  gates 
of  each  elevator  on  each  floor,  re- 
ducing 100  pounds  to  50  pounds 
air  required  to  control  these 
gates.  All  the  devices  of  the 
Foster  Engineering  Company  are 
of  the  latest  design  and  construc- 
tion and  are  especially  adapted 
to  the  work  for  which  they  are 
intended. 

To  those  interested  in  the 
problem  of  reducing  and  regu- 
lating steam  or  air  for  work  of 
this  nature,  the  Foster  installa- 
tion in  the  Singer  Building  is  well 
worthy  a  visit,  and  to  a  practical  engineer,  who  is 
thrown  in  contact  with  devices  of  this  nature,  thev 
furnish  an  interesting  study. 


PUMP  GOVERNOR 


[97] 


STEAM  SEPARATORS 


ENGINE  No.  4. — SHOWING  COCHRANE  VERTICAL  STEAM  SEPARATOR 


THE  engines  are  located  in  a  separate  room, 
some  distance  from  the  boilers,  so  that  the 
steam    must   pass    through   a  considerable 
length  of  piping  before  it  reaches  the  engines. 

To  protect  the  engines  from  water  which  might 
be  condensed  from  the  steam  in  the  pipes,  and  also 
from  water  due  to  priming  or  foaming  of  the  boilers, 
or  possibly  to  a  too  high  water  level,  Cochrane  Steam 
Separators,  manufactured  by  the  Harrison  Safety 
Boiler  Works  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  were  placed  in  the 
steam  lines,  close  to  the  engines  and  pumps.  A 
Cochrane  Separator  consists  essentially  of  a  closed 
vessel  in  which  a  ribbed  baffle  plate  is  placed 
directly  in  front  of  the  current  of  steam.  In  this 
way,  any  particles  of  moisture  are  projected  against 
the  baffle  plate,  whence  they  flow  into  a  well  or 
receiver,  drained  by  an  automatic  steam  trap.  The 
steam  passes  around  the  sides  of  the  baffle  and  enters 
the  engine  in  a  dry  condition. 

[ 


These  separators  not  only  protect  engines  by 
keeping  out  large  masses  of  water  which  might  cause 
disruption  of  cylinders  but,  by  stopping  small  amounts 
of  moisture  which  are  always  found  in  steam  and 
which  are  increased  by  condensation  in  the  steam 
main,  they  prevent  the  washing  away  of  cylinder 
lubricating  oil,  thereby  reducing  the  expense  of  oil 
and  minimizing  friction  and  wear. 

There  are  six  Cochrane  Separators  in  the  Singer 
Building  Power  Plant,  one  of  the  horizontal  type  and 
the  remainder  of  the  vertical  receiver  type. 

The  receiver  type  is  so  called  because  it  is  sup- 
plied with  a  very  large  well  or  receiver,  which  serves 
not  only  to  hold  large  volumes  of  water  until  they 
can  be  drained  out  by  the  trap,  but  also  equalizes 
the  flow  of  steam  and  maintains  a  more  uniform 
pressure  at  the  engines.  This  volume  of  steam  in  the 
receiver  also  acts  as  a  cushion  to  absorb  the  pulsations 
of  the  column  of  steam  in  the  pipe  line. 

08  ] 


REFRIGERATING  PLANT 


THE  cooling  of 
the  drinking 
water  used 
throughout  the  Singer 
Building  is  produced 
by  means  of  the  most 
modern  and  up  -  to  - 
date  refrigerating  ma- 
chinery. 

The  water  used  in 
the  drinking-water 
system  is  first  put 
through  a  battery  of 
water  filters,  after 
which  it  is  forced  into 
the  cooling  tanks. 

These  tanks  are 
two  in  number,  one 
for  high-pressure  ser- 
vice and  one  for  low 
pressure.  Each  tank 
is  42  inches  in  diameter 
and  10  feet  long,  and 
is  provided  with  ap- 
proximately 1,025  feet 
of  1^-inch  extra  heavy 
continuous  welded  pipe 
coils.  These  coils  are 
arranged  with  all  the 
necessary  headers, 
valves,  fittings  and  con- 
nections for  the  circu- 
lation of  cold  brine.  From  this  combined  cooling  and 
supply  tank,  the  water  is  circulated  throughout  the 
entire  building  and  Tower  by  means  of  two  stage 
turbine  pumps,  these  pumps  being  directly  connected 
to  motors.  There  are  three  of  these  pumps,  each 
having  a  capacity  of  50  gallons  per  minute;  two 
of  the  pumps  are  designed  for  a  working  pressure 
of  300  pounds  per  square  inch,  and  one  for  100  pounds 
per  square  inch.  The  refrigerating  machine  of  this 
plant  is  provided  with  two  vertical  single-acting  com- 
pressors, driven  by  a,  Corliss  -Valve  Engine.  This 
machine,  as  well  as  the  balance  of  the  refrigerating 
machinery  throughout  the  plant,  was  built  and 
installed  by  the  York  Manufacturing  Company,  of 


York,  Pa.  For  cooling  the  brine  circulated  in  the 
water-cooling  coils  two  double-pipe  brine  coolers 
are  used,  each  cooler  being  12  pipes  high  and 
18  feet  2  inches  long  of  2-inch  and  3-inch  pipe. 
The  brine  is  taken  from  a  brine  supply  tank 
and  circulated  through  the  brine  coolers  and  water- 
cooling  coils  by  means  of  a  duplex  direct-acting 
pump. 

In  connection  with  this  water-cooling  system  a 
small  freezing  system  is  installed,  which  produces 
from  500  to  1,000  pounds  of  ice  per  day.  This 
system  has  proved  very  satisfactory,  and  gives  a 
continuous  supply  of  cold  drinking  water  throughout 
the  building  at  all  times. 


[99] 


ELECTRICAL  INSTALLATION 


MANY  novel  and  serious  problems  were  pre- 
sented by  the  plans  devised  for  the  electric 
lighting  and  the  furnishing  of  power  for 
the  Singer  Building,  but  these  were  all  satisfactorily 
solved,  and  each  electric  system  installed  is  in  every 
respect  complete  and  adequate  to  meet  every  demand 
upon  it. 

The  electric  generators  and  motors  used  in  the 
Singer  Building  were  made  by  the 
Diehl  Manufacturing  Company  of 
Elizabethport,  N.  J.,  and  were  se- 
lected because  of  confidence  in  their 
reliability  and  economy,  as  shown  by  their  successful 
operation  in  many  varieties  of  service. 


ELECTRIC 

GENERATING 

APPARATUS 


The  dynamos  are  compound  wound  multipolar 
slow-speed  engine  type  generators,  four  machines 
having  a  capacity  of  300  K.W.  each  and  one  of  200 
K.W.,  all  supplying  current  at  250  volts  at  150 
R.P.M.  They  furnish  the  entire  supply  of  electric 
current  used  throughout  the  building  for  both  lighting 
and  power. 

These  generators  are  of  massive  design,  with  low 
heat  limits  due  to  low  current  density  in  windings, 
commutator  and  brushes  and  to  excellent  ventilation 
afforded  by  paths  for  air  currents  through  all  of  the 
windings  and  interior  parts  of  the  machines.  They 
are  non-sparking  at  all  loads  and  are  capable  of 
standing  heavy  overloads  for  long  periods  of  time. 


[  100 


During  the  building  construction  they  successfully 
stood  continuous  overloads  of  from  50  to  75  per  cent, 
without  sparking  or  injurious  heating,  conditions 
being  especially  unfavorable,  due  to  the  unavoidable 
presence  of  dust  and  dirt  incident  to  the  building 
operations. 

Electric  power  has  proved  a  vital  factor  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  modern  office  building.  Many 
problems  where  power  is  required 
would  be  difficult  if  not  impossible 
of  solution  were  it  not  for  the 
adaptability  and  flexibility  of  the  electric  motor. 

When  office  buildings  were  moderate  in  size  the 
number  of  persons  occupying  them  was  comparatively 
small.  Under  such  conditions  natural  means  could 
be  depended  upon  to  provide  ventilation  which,  while 

[ 


ELECTRIC 
MOTORS 


by  no  means  adequate,  was  the  best  that  could  be  ob- 
tained. With  development  and  gradual  increase  in 
size,  problems  were  introduced  on  the  solution  of 
which  depended  the  success  or  failure  of  the  building. 
The  mammoth  structures  of  the  present  day  accom- 
modate many  thousands  of  persons,  making  the 
question  of  ventilation  of  supreme  importance.  Many 
cases  arise  in  planning  for  ventilation  where  natural 
means  are  inadequate  and  mechanical  means  must  be 
provided.  Proper  machinery  must  be  placed  in  sit- 
uations that  are  inaccessible  and  remote  from  the 
source  of  power.  The  electrically  driven  fan  or 
blower  is  perfectly  adapted  to  such  conditions  because 
it  can  be  placed  in  any  position  without  regard  to 
other  apparatus. 

Other  problems  arise,  the  great  importance  of 

101  | 


which  are  not  apparent  to  the  uninitiated  observer, 
which  have  to  do  with  auxiliaries  in  the  power  plant. 
The  engine  room  may  be  said  to  be  the  heart  of  the 
building,  for  the  reason  that  the  power  plant  supplies 
the  building  with  light  and  heat  as  well  as  power. 
The  space  allowed  is  necessarily  small,  while  appa- 
ratus for  many  different  purposes  are  required.  The 
electric  motor  again  proves  its  value  here,  being  used 
to  drive  pumps  of  different  kinds  as  well  as  special 
machinery  incident  to  the  operation  of  the  building. 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  service  required  of  electric 
motors  in  the  modern  office  building  is  exacting,  and 
they  must  be  thoroughly  reliable  and  well  adapted  to 
the  work  they  are  to  perform.  They  are  frequently 
called  upon  to  run,  fully  loaded,  continuously  for 

[10 


many  hours,  and  failure  would  interfere  seriously  with 
the  successful  operation  of  the  building. 

The  Diehl  Manufacturing  Company  makes  a 
specialty  of  motors  for  the  purposes  outlined,  and  the 
motors  installed  in  the  Singer  Building  are  note- 
worthy for  their  efficient,  sparkless  running  and  low 
heat  limits.  The  motors  are  strongly  and  compactly 
built  and  all  parts  subject  to  wear  have  generous 
allowance  to  insure  great  durability. 

The  motors  drive  ventilating  fans  located  in  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  building,  from  the  39th  floor  to 
the  engine  room  in  the  basement.  They  are  also 
used  to  drive  pumps  for  ice-water  circulation  through 
the  building  and  for  emptying  the  drain  pit  in  the 
basement  into  the  sewer.    The  Vacuum  Cleaner 

2] 


ELECTRICAL 
DISTRIBUTION 


System  is  driven  by  a  motor  and  the  liquid  in  the 
brine  tanks  is  agitated  by  similar  means.  Other  uses 
of  the  motors  are  conventional  application  for  ordi- 
nary power  purposes. 

The  system  of  electrical  distribution  was  fur- 
nished and  installed  by  the  M.  B.  Foster  Electric 
Company,  having  its  principal  office 
at  No.  109  West  Twenty-sixth  Street, 
New  York  City,  and  a  branch  office 
at  No.  220  Devonshire  Street,  Boston.  Edward  S. 
Clinch,  Jr.,  is  the  President  of  the  Company,  and 
Mortimer  B.  Foster,  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 

The  installation  includes  the  electric  light  and 
power,  wiring,  generator  leads,  switch  board,  panel 
boards,  telephone  conduits,  watchman's  time  de- 
tector and  a  low-tension  system  for  supplying  current 
for  operating  bells  and  similar  apparatus. 

The  switchboard  was  built  by  the  Diehl  Manu- 
facturing Company  of  Elizabethport,  N.  J.    The  slabs 

are  of  white  Italian  marble  and 

SWITCHBOARD   ,  ,  .  ,  ,  ' 

have  a  copper-plated   bronze  base. 

The  switch  board  is  of  the  most  approved  style. 
There  is  not  a  fuse  on  it.  The  generators  and 
feeders  are  protected  by  the  I.T.E.  circuit  breakers 
of  the  double-pole  double-arm  laminated  type,  and 
the  circuit  breakers  protecting  the  generators  have 
the  reverse  current-release  attachment.  The  office 
of  this  attachment  is  to  prevent  the  demagnetizing 
or  reversing  of  the  generators.  The  indicating  in- 
struments are  of  the  illuminating  dial  type,  manufac- 
tured by  the  Weston  Electrical  Instrument  Company 
of  Newark.  The  weight  of  the  switch  board  as  it 
stands,  excepting  the  indicating  instruments  and  watt- 
meters, is  17,100  pounds,  of  which  8,400  pounds  are 
copper,  5,400  pounds  marble  and  3,300  pounds 
iron. 

Although  the  220  volt,  2-wire  system  is  used  for 
both  lighting  and  power,  the  lighting  feeders  are  of 
the  3-wire  double  neutral  loop  sys- 
tem, so  arranged  that  it  may  readily 
be  changed  from  the  3  to  the  2-wire  system.  It 
also  maintains  an  absolutely  even  voltage  on  every 
floor  no  matter  at  what  distance  from  the  switch 
board. 

The  generator  leads  are  paper  insulated  lead-cov- 
ered cables,  and  contain  6,185  pounds  of  copper.  All 
the  feeders  and  branch  wires,  from  the  basement  to 
the  top  of  the  Tower,  are  rubber  covered,  of  the 


WIRING  SYSTEM 


PANEL  BOARDS 


"Tip  Top"  brand,  and  have  an  aggregate  length  of 
67  miles,  including  1,699,714  feet  of  single  wire, 
and  53,950  pounds  of  copper.  This  amount  of 
copper  will  make  sufficient  No.  14  wire,  which  is  the 
size  used  for  branch  work,  to  reach  from  New  York 
to  Chicago. 

The  largest  feeder  ever  run  to  a  similar  height  is 
that  which  runs  to  the  36th  floor,  feeding  the  elevators 
in  the  Tower.  This  feeder  weighs  9,710  pounds  and 
each  conductor  is  670  feet  long. 

The  wire  and  generator  leads  were  manufactured 
by  the  Standard  Underground  Cable  Company  of 
Pittsburg.  The  current  carried  by  each  feeder  is 
measured  by  an  integrating  wattmeter,  made  by  the 
Sangamo  Electric  Company. 

All  wires  are  run  in  electro-duct  iron  conduit, 
made  by  the  American  Circular  Loom  Company  of 
Chelsea,  Mass.  The  conduit  used  weighs  105  tons, 
and  has  an  aggregate  length  of  30  miles,  or  over  twice 
the  distance  from  the  Battery  to  Spuyten  Duyvil. 

The  panel  boards  are  of  marbleized  slate  with 
the  main  and  each  branch  circuit  protected  by 
National  Electric  Code  enclosed 
fuses.  A  unique  idea  was  carried 
out  on  these  panels  in  covering  the  bus  bars  and 
cross  connection  bars  with  fiber.  This  is  the  first 
time  this  has  ever  been  done,  although  it  reduces 
to  a  minimum  the  possibility  of  anyone  causing  a 
short  circuit  by  accidentally  placing  a  tool  or  other 
conductor  across  the  bus  bars. 

Very  few  brackets  have  been  used  in  the  building. 
The  general  lighting  of  the  offices  is  by  means  of 
ceiling  clusters,  and  receptacles  are  installed  in  the 
baseboard  for  desk  lights. 

There  are  1,342  ceiling  outlets, 
441  bracket  outlets,  1,902  base  re- 
ceptacles, with  a  capacity  of  7,612  16-candle  power 
lights,  and  989  flush  push  switches. 

The  main  corridor  of  the  building  is  one  of  the 
most  artistic  and  beautiful  of  any  building  in  the 
city,  and  a  system  of  lighting  was  absolutely  necessary 
that  would  not  in  any  respect  detract  from  the  artis- 
tic qualities  of  the  corridor.  The  principal  light  is 
derived  from  clusters  of  48  8-candle  power  lamps 
placed  in  the  top  of  each  dome  in  the  ceiling  and 
above  amber  rippled  glass.  In  addition  to  these 
ceiling  clusters,  there  are  bronze  brackets  with 
ground  glass  globes.    The  general  effect  produced 


CEILING 
LIGHTS 


103  j 


VIEW  OF  MAIN  CORRIDOR  LOOKING  EAST,  SHOWING  CEILING  LIGHTS 

(Sec  description  on  'preceding  page) 


is  an  illumination  with  no 
shadows,  which  gives  a 
daylight  effect  to  the  whole 
corridor  and  thereby  dis- 
plays all  its  artistic  fea- 
tures and  yet  is  so  soft  and 
diffusive  as  not  in  any  de- 
gree to  make  its  presence 
unpleasantly  evident. 

The  greatest  and  most 
noteworthy  innovation  in 
the  whole  electric  equip- 

EXTERIOR       J?en*  °{ 

LIGHTING  £e,.Sln«er 
Building  is 

the  illumination  of  the 
exterior  of  the  Tower  at 
night.  Never  before  has 
any  building  been  thus 
illuminated,  the  idea  being 
conceived  by  Charles  G. 
Armstrong,  Consulting 
Mechanical  and  Electrical 
Engineer  of  the  building. 
This  illumination  is  ac- 
complished by  thirty  18- 
inch  projectors,  designed 
expressly  for  the  purpose 
by  the  General  Electric 
Company  of  Schenectady. 
The  beams  of  light  from 
the  projectors  are  thrown 
upon  the  exterior  walls 
of  the  Tower  from  its 
base  to  the  35th  floor, 
and  the  remainder  of  the 
exterior  is  illuminated  by 
1,600  concealed  incandes- 
cent lamps. 

The  flag  on  the  flag 
pole  of  the  Tower  is  il- 
luminated by  the  projec- 
tion of  a  beam  of  light 
from  a  36- inch  projector 
on  the  roof  of  the  Bourne 
Building,  and  the  name 
"SINGER"  can,  there- 
fore, wave  in  the  breeze 
both  day  and  night  before 
the  eyes  of  the  public. 


[  1«5  ] 


ELECTRICAL  MEASURING  INSTRUMENTS 


INDICATING  Electrical  Measuring  Instruments 
are  of  even  more  importance  to  the  electrical 
engineer  than  is  the  action  of  the  human  pulse 
to  a  physician,  and  upon  the  use  of  such  devices 
entirely  depends  the  knowledge  of  an  electrical  plant's 
action. 

To  avoid  danger,  the  Voltmeter  must  always  be 
relied  upon  for  throwing  two  generating  sets  in 
parallel,  and  it  is  the  only  guide  the  operator  has  for 
maintaining  a  steady  light  throughout  the  entire 
building.  This  instrument  is  always  referred  to  for 
determining  whether  the  electric  lights  are  burning 
at  their  rated  efficiency,  and  shows  the  direct  relation 
of  coal  bills  to  renewal  of  lamps. 

The  Ammeter  has  a  very  important  duty  in 
detecting  the  amount  of  current  (or  "load")  on  any 
generating  set  or  distributing  device,  so  that  it  may 


be  known  whether  each  is  doing  its  share  of  the  work 
and  not  becoming  strained  or  damaged  by  "over- 
load." This  type  of  meter  also  facilitates  an  econom- 
ical control  of  feeder  circuits  by  indicating  to  the 
operator  the  branches  of  the  building  that  are  un- 
necessarily taking  current. 

Of  course  when  the  functions  of  these  instruments 
are  thoroughly  understood  to  be  so  essential  to  the 
successful,  economical  and  uninterrupted  operation 
of  the  plant,  an  engineer  will  select  the  very  best 
apparatus  the  market  affords.  The  choice  of  Weston 
Electrical  Measuring  Instruments  has  given  the  Singer 
Building  the  benefit  of  the  world's  highest  achieve- 
ment in  the  art  of  electrical  measurement,  and  allows 
the  engineer  of  that  plant  to  know  at  all  times  within 
1  per  cent,  of  the  actual  instantaneous  values  of  voltage 
and  amperage  that  obtain. 


RUBBER  PRODUCTS 


RUBBER,  too,  has  played  its  part  in  the  con- 
struction and  equipment  of  this  edifice.  It 
has  furnished  its  invaluable  assistance  in 
many  ways. 

Without  rubber  suction  hose  and  rubber  steam 
hose,  the  excavations  for  the  foundations  would  have 
been  practically  impossible.  Rubber  discharge  hose 
has  been  necessary  to  convey  water  from  one  point 
to  another.  None  of  the  pneumatic  hammers,  thou- 
sands of  which  were  daily  employed  in  riveting  the 
vast  structure  together,  could  have  been  nearly  so 
promptly  and  efficiently  handled  without  rubber 
pneumatic  hose. 

Many  people  do  not  know  that  the  best  rubber 
is  grown  directly  under  the  equator,  where  the  fierce 
beams  of  the  tropical  sun  develop  the  caoutchouc 
or  rubber  tree.  The  torrential  rains  of  the  wet 
season  in  the  tropics  have  also  much  to  do  with 
fostering  its  growth  and  development. 

The  crude  sap  is  gathered  by  puncturing  the  tree 
at  intervals  around  its  greatest  girth  and  collecting 
the  sap,  as  it  exudes,  in  little  cups.  Afterwards  this 
is  hardened  by  being  smoked  over  a  fire  of  nut 
indigenous  to  the  same  soil.     This  nut  will  not 


flame  or  blaze  when  lighted,  but  produces  a  thick  and 
heavy  smoke,  which  when  brought  into  contact  with 
the  rubber  milk  coagulates  it  and  renders  it  fit  for 
transportation. 

As  one  departs  from  the  equator,  rubber  still 
grows,  but  the  qualities  are  poorer  and  poorer,  until 
they  are  nearly  resins. 

The  use  of  this  commodity  is  so  extended  that, 
independent  of  the  purely  mechanical  devices  in 
which  it  forms  a  part,  goods  of  an  ornamental  and 
elegant  nature,  too,  are  made  from  it. 

Among  its  latest  developments  is  a  rubber  floor 
covering,  or  tile,  made  up  as  burned  china  tiling 
is  made,  of  a  number  of  different  colored  pieces, 
of  different  shapes,  to  represent  any  design.  This 
forms  a  most  beautiful  floor  covering — durable, 
sanitary,  non-slippery,  and  much  more  desirable  for 
the  purpose  than  anything  yet  devised. 

The  elevator  cars  in  the  Singer  Building  are 
furnished  with  it,  from  designs  supplied  by  the 
Gutta  Percha  &  Rubber  Manufacturing  Co.  of  No.  126 
Duane  Street,  New  York,  who  also  supplied  the 
other  rubber  material  used  in  the  construction  and 
equipment  of  this  building. 


[  10G  J 


OIL  FILTRATION 


THE  Multiplex  Type  "White  Star"  Oil  Filter 
installed  in  the  Singer  Building  by  the  Van 
Dijck  Church  ill  Co.,  engineers  and  contractors 
of  Continuous  Oiling  System,  91  and  93  Liberty 
Street,  New  York,  is  designed  to  meet  the  demand 
in  large  power  stations  for  great  capacity  in  limited 
area,  and  is  claimed  to  be  the  only  apparatus  that 
can  perfectly  purify  lubricating  oil  in  quantity. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  manufacture  and  installa- 
tion of  the  "White  Star"  Continuous  Oiling  System, 
difficulty  was  occasionally  experienced  in  the  handling 
of  thickened  or  emulsified  oils.  Emulsion  of  the 
lubricating  oils  used  in  a  power  plant  is  of  common 
occurrence  and  the  makers  of  this  filter  attacked  this 
problem  with  the  determination  to  solve  it  if  possible. 
After  much  experimenting  that  was  costly  in  time  and 
money,  a  successful  method  of  treatment  was  devised. 

It  is  an  undisputed  fact  that  the  only  simple, 
scientific  and  absolutely  effectual  method  for  the 
thorough  purification  of  lubricating  oils  is  employed 
in  the  "  White  Star"  Oil  Filter,  and  in  such  a  compact 
form  that  no  other  device  of  the  kind  can  approach  its 
remarkable  capacity  in  an  equal  area. 

In  this  type  the  separating  chamber  is  entirely 

[1 


independent  of  the  storage  chambers,  the  communi- 
cating pipes  being  controlled  from  the  outside. 

In  the  storage  chambers,  numbers  of  filtering 
cylinders  are  suspended  in  such  a  manner  that  they 
may  be  detached  individually  for  cleaning  without 
interrupting  the  operation  of  the  others. 

Multiplex  filters  are  formed  around  angle  iron 
framework,  the  bodies  being  made  of  heavy  gal- 
vanized iron,  with  all  seams  riveted  and  caulked. 

Obviously,  the  important  item  of  the  complete 
system  is  the  Filter,  whose  action  must  be  reliable 
and  efficient  at  all  times.  Its  failure  to  purify  the  oil 
perfectly  would  practically  nullify  the  good  results 
of  the  continuous  lubrication,  flooding  the  bearings 
with  dirty  oil,  increasing  the  friction  and  wear  and 
allowing  the  piping  to  fill  with  sediment  and  the 
oil  feeds  to  clog. 

Consequently,  the  "White  Star"  Oil  Filter  is  an 
essential  component  of  the  Continuous  Oiling  System, 
to  which  very  properly  it  lends  its  name.  Perfect 
and  continuous  in  its  operation,  easily  and  quickly 
cleaned,  and  ample  in  filtering  capacity,  the  "White 
Star"  Oil  Filter  is  particularly  well  adapted  to  con- 
tinuous oiling  service. 


OILING  SYSTEM 


ADMIRALTY  OILING  TABLE 


THE  Oiling  System  comprises  two  200-gallon 
capacity  storage  tanks,  one  for  machine  and 
the  other  for  cylinder  oil;  an  oiling  table  of 
the  Siegrist  "Admiralty"  type,  having  four  duplex 
steam  pumps,  two  for  circulating  the  machine  oil  and 
the  two  others  for  the  cylinder  oil;  pressure  machine- 
oil  cups  on  all  the  engines,  pumps,  compressors,  ice 
machine  and  motors  requiring  lubrication;  duplex 
vertical  oil  pumps  on  all  the  cylinders  of  the  engines, 
pumps,  etc.,  provided  with  ratchet  drives  connected 
to  some  reciprocating  part  of  the  engines,  etc.,  and  so 
arranged  that  they  will  force  the  cylinder  oil  into  the 
engine  cylinders  against  175  pounds  steam  pressure; 
oil  sump  tank  of  90  gallons  capacity,  to  catch  the 
machine  oil  drips  from  the  engines,  etc.,  and  two 


machine-oil  filters,  of  200  gallons  capacity  per  twenty- 
four  hours.    One  of  these  is  of  Turner  make. 

The  system  is  operated  under  a  pressure  of  from  10 
to  15  pounds  per  square  inch,  and  its  various  appur- 
tenances are  connected  together  by  means  of  brass 
piping. 

Just  as  in  the  human  body  the  heart  pumps  the 
blood  through  the  various  parts  and  organs  back  to 
the  lungs,  where  it  is  purified  and  then  recirculated, 
so  here  the  Oiling  System  pumps  the  oil  to  the  various 
engines,  etc.,  from  which  it  flows  back  to  the  sump 
and  filter,  to  be  cleaned  and  recirculated.  Even  the 
oil  in  the  exhaust  steam  and  drips,  which  is  usually 
wasted,  is  here  extracted,  filtered,  and  re-used,  through 
an  appliance  described  in  detail  on  another  page. 


[  1<>8  ] 


LUBRICATING  OILS 


THE  Stephens  &  Conrow  Co.,  of  No.  136  Liberty 
Street,  New  York,  who  furnished  the  lubri- 
cating oils  for  the  mechanical  plant  of  the 
Singer  Building,  write  as  follows : 

"It  is  with  mingled  pleasure  and  pride  we  sign 
ourselves  participants  in  the  successful  operation  of 
the  motive  system  of  the  giant  Singer  Building,  if  this 
service  is  only  to  eliminate  the  friction  from  the  work- 
ing, wearing  parts  of  the  mighty  valves  of  its  complex 
heart.    For  here  was  set  our  task. 

"  Go  down  with  us  into  the  peerless  Power  Plant— 
the  life  center  of  the  building,  and  note  the  perpetual 
activity  of  the  numerous  but  interdependent  mechan- 
isms, forming  with  almost  physiological  arrangement 
the  organism  which  alone  makes  practical  the  tower- 
ing shaft  of  business  homes  above. 

"In  this  domain  of  the  engineer,  our  lubricating 
specialties,  impelled  by  a  perfect  oiling  system,  make 
their  ceaseless  round,  directly  or  indirectly  facilitating 
the  working  of  five  Babcock  &  Wilcox  boilers  with 
superheaters;  five  main  four-valve  Ball    &  Wood 


engines,  two  cross  compound  d.c.  to  Diehl  300  K.W. 
Generators,  and  three  d.c,  one  to  a  200  K.W.,  and 
the  two  others  to  300  K.W.  Generators,  supplying 
heat  and  power;  eight  auxiliary  engines  variously 
used;  thirty-five  pumps  for  boiler  feeding,  vacuum 
cleaning,  water  supply,  etc.;  sixteen  Otis  Traction 
Passenger  Elevators  and  three  plunger  hydraulic 
freight  elevators;  a  distilled  water  condenser,  and  a 
20-ton  York  Ice  Machine,  driven  by  a  Corliss  Engine. 

"A  recital  explaining  the  practical,  experimental 
and  chemical  details  employed  in  compounding  oils, 
greases,  etc.,  to  meet  the  varied  symptoms  of  this 
complex  yet  multiplex  system,  where  no  two  engines, 
though  technically  identical,  present  the  same  con- 
ditions, and  where  the  recurring  disturbances  of 
superheat,  condensations,  etc.,  have  to  be  overcome, 
did  space  permit,  would  be  exceedingly  dry  and  un- 
profitable reading  to  any  except  ourselves.  After 
the  manner  of  our  product,  therefore,  we  shall  have 
to  work  for  the  most  part  unseen,  being  content  with 
the  knowledge  that  we  have  accomplished  our  task." 


STEAM  PACKING 


THE  question  of  packing  for  stuffing  boxes, 
steam  joints,  etc.,  in  the  mechanical  plant  of 
the  Singer  Building,  while  a  small  matter  in 
itself,  received  the  closest  attention  and  study,  always 
with  an  eye  open  to  the  fact  that  the  packing  is 
intended  to  prevent  leakage  of  steam,  and  that  leaks 
in  any  steam  vessel  bear  directly  on  the  consump- 
tion of  coal  and  frustrate  the  very  idea  of  sparing 
no  expense  in  equipment  to  obtain  economy  in  run- 
ning. In  referring  to  this  subject,  the  point  which 
naturally  is  uppermost  in  the  mind  of  one  whom 
the  packing  question  interests  is  the  piston  rod  and 
valve  steam  packing.  These  parts  are  packed  with 
CrandaWs  High-Pressure  Ring  Packing,  made  up  in 
ring  form,  a  perfect  fit  to  rod  and  stuffing  box.  This 
material  is  made  with  a  large  rubber  core  in  the 


center  to  give  the  packing  elasticity,  the  core  being 
protected  from  the  extreme  heat  of  the  stuffing  box 
by  the  outside  cover  of  the  finest  quality  asbestos 
fiber,  lubricated  with  a  special  compound  to  reduce 
friction.  The  selection  of  this  material  was  appar- 
ently no  mistake,  as  it  has  been  found  that  the  heavy 
layers  of  asbestos  protect  the  rubber  core,  prevent- 
ing deterioration  and  thereby  prolonging  the  life  of 
the  packing.  Other  packing  propositions  than  the 
above  were  considered  and  given  the  same  close 
attention  which  has  marked  the  successful  construc- 
tion of  the  Singer  Building.  To  dwell  on  each  of 
these  propositions  would  be  superfluous ;  on  the  high- 
pressure  piston-rod  and  valve-stem  work  the  results 
obtained  by  the  use  of  the  Crandall  Packing  are 
eminently  satisfactory. 


[  109  j 


WATER  FILTERS 


ALL  of  the  water  used  in  the  Singer  Building 
Z_m  for  drinking  and  domestic  purposes  is  puri- 
-A-  JL  fied  by  two  Loomis-Manning  Water  Filters, 
shown  in  the  accompanying  illustration,  which  are 
manufactured  by  the  Loomis-Manning  Filter  Com- 
pany, 9203  Metropolitan  Life  Tower,  New  York. 
Main  office  and  works,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

The  water,  after  passing  through  two  specially 
constructed  horizontal  filters,  is  refiltered  and  refined 


by  the  Loomis-Manning  Filters  and  delivered  to  the 
Water-Cooling  Plant  for  the  Drinking- Water  System. 

The  operation  of  these  filters  is  very  simple,  each 
of  them  being  controlled  by  a  Manning  Single  Multiple 
Valve,  any  function  of  the  filter  being  obtained  by 
moving  the  operating  lever  of  the  valve  over  a  regis- 
tered dial  to  any  of  the  stations  marked  thereon, 
namely,  "Filtering,"  "Filtering  to  Waste,"  "Wash- 
ing Filter  Bed,"  or  "By-Pass." 

These  filters  are  washed  by  a  reverse  current 


of  water  by  means  of  the  special  devices  composing 
the  Loomis  System  of  washing  a  filter  bed. 

One  filter  supplies  the  High-Service  Drinking- 
Water  System,  and  is  built  and  tested  out  to  withstand 
a  pressure  of  400  pounds.  The  other  supplies  the 
Low-Service  Drinking- Water  System  and  is  built 
and  tested  out  to  withstand  a  pressure  of  100  pounds. 
Each  filter  is  composed  of  sections  (two  cylinders 
and  two  bonnets)  securely  bolted  together,  and  form- 
ing as  a  whole  a  vertical  cast-iron  cylinder  casing 
mounted  upon  a  cast-iron  stand. 

Loomis-Manning  Filters  have  been  used  in  all  of 
the  Singer  Buildings.  In  the  original  Singer  Build- 
ing a  plant  was  installed  in  1897.  When  the  Bourne 
Addition  was  constructed  a  second  plant  was  installed 
in  1899,  and  now  the  third  plant  has  been  installed 
in  the  completed  Singer  Building  in  1908. 

The  Loomis-Manning  Filters  are  made  of  both 
single-  and  double-cylinder  type.  The  former  con- 
sists of  one  cylinder  charged  with  crushed  flint,  and 
fitted  with  an  alum  coagulant  attachment. 

In  this  apparatus  a  minute  portion  of  alum  is  fed 
to  the  water  as  it  passes  into  the  filter.  The  alum 
coagulates  the  impurities  in  the  water  and  deposits 
them  in  a  glutinous  mass  on  the  surface  of  the  filter- 
ing bed.  When  the  filter  is  cleansed  this  mass  is 
washed  out  into  the  sewer. 

The  double-cylinder  type  consists  of  two  cylin- 
ders, one  of  which  is  charged  with  crushed  flint 
quartz,  while  the  other  contains  granulated  bone 
charcoal.   In  this  type  no  alum  or  other  coagu- 
lant is  required.    The  filtering  material  fills  the 
lower  half  of  the  cylinder.    The  water  enters  at 
the  top,  passing  first  through  the  cylinder  con- 
taining the  quartz,  which  removes  the  impurities 
held  in  suspension;  then  through  the  charcoal  cylin- 
der, wherein  all  odor,  taste  and  color  are  removed. 
It  deposits  all  impurities  on  top  of  the  filtering  beds, 
and  clear  and  sparkling,  passes  out  through  the  pipe 
at  the  bottom  of  the  filter. 

The  double-cylinder  filters  are  more  econom- 
ical to  operate  as  no  alum  is  used,  and  they  do  not 
require  as  frequent  washing  as  the  other  kind.  Most 
of  the  installations  made  are  of  the  double- cylinder 
type. 


[110] 


REMOVAL  OF  OLD  AND  SETTING  OF  NEW  MECHANICAL  PLANT 


THE  entire  mechanical  plant  of  the  old  build- 
ing, consisting  of  boilers,  engines,  generators, 
pumps,  tanks  and  various  other  appurte- 
nances, was  removed  during  the  reconstruction  and 
enlargement  of  the  buildings  and  replaced  by  a  new 
plant  of  increased  capacity.  This  work  was  accom- 
plished gradually,  according  to  a  carefully  prearranged 
programme,  as  the  old  buildings  had  to  be  supplied 
uninterruptedly  with  water,  heat  and  electrical  current 
for  light  and  power  during  the  alterations. 

Every  one  who  has  had  occasion  to  visit  the  engine 
room  of  a  modern  building,  and  has  wondered  at  the 
intricate  arrangement  of  engines  and  piping,  will 
readily  realize  what  it  meant  to  take  out  the  old 
machinery  and  install  the  new  without  interrupting 
the  operation  of  the  plant. 

This  contract  comprised  the  knocking  down  and 
taking  out  from  the  old  plant  of  five  Ball  &  Wood 
engines  with  direct-connected  Diehl  generators,  rang- 
ing in  size  from  25  to  100  K.W.,  and  weighing  from 
2  to  7  tons  each.  Also  the  removal  of  about  twenty 
pumps  and  numerous  tanks. 

The  old  engines  and  generators  were  replaced  by 
five  units,  four  of  which  are  of  300  K.W.  capacity  and 
one  of  200  K.W.  The  heavier  single  pieces  of  the 
generators,  namely,  the  armatures,  weigh  about  8 
tons  each,  the  engine  frames  about  8  tons,  and  the  fly 
wheels,  which  were  in  halves,  from  9  to  13  tons  each. 

[1 


This  contract  further  included  the  installation  of 
two  of  the  largest  cooling  tanks  ever  made,  one  of 
them  weighing  14  and  the  other  16  tons;  the  installa- 
tion of  the  ice  plant,  weighing  about  50  tons;  two 
special  fire  pumps,  weighing  about  10  tons,  and  the 
following  machine-shop  tools:  Two  lathes,  weighing 
about  5  tons  and  2  tons,  respectively;  one  shaper, 
2  tons;  one  pipe-cutting  machine,  2  tons;  two  drill 
presses,  3  tons;  one  power  hacksaw,  one  double 
grinder  and  several  smaller  tools. 

Throughout  various  floors  of  the  building,  from 
the  basement  to  the  39th,  several  ventilating  motors 
were  installed,  ranging  in  size  from  15  to  75  H.P. 
This  work  had  to  be  done  mostly  at  night  so  as  not  to 
interfere  with  the  street  traffic  and  the  work  of  con- 
struction. 

The  rigging  used  to  handle  the  heavy  parts  was 
of  sufficient  strength  to  carry  four  times  the  load; 
the  electrical  winches  used  for  hoisting  were  especially 
designed  by  the  contractor  for  this  work,  Richard 
Doughty,  of  No.  121  Liberty  Street,  New  York. 

The  execution  of  the  contract  extended  over  a 
period  of  one  year.  Notwithstanding  the  many  diffi- 
culties encountered,  the  work  was  carried  on  and 
finished  without  an  accident  of  any  kind.  It  included 
not  only  the  raising  and  lowering  of  the  machinery  into 
the  building  and  placing  it  in  position,  but  also  the 
hauling  from  and  to  the  docks. 

11] 


SAFE-DEPOSIT  VAULTS 


MAIN  CORRIDOR  AND  ELEVATOR 
THE  SAFE  DEPOSIT  COMPANY  OF  NEW  YORK 

A  BOUT  10,000  square  feet  of  the  basement  of 
/\  the  Singer  Building  is  specially  designed  and 
M.  JL.  constructed  for  the  use  of  The  Safe  Deposit 
Company  of  New  York,  which  offers  its  patrons  the 
most  secure,  elaborate  and  convenient  means  for  the 
safe  keeping  of  valuables. 

Although  every  facility  is  afforded  the  box  holder 
or  the  vault  lessee  for  easy  access  to  his  or  her  prop- 
erty, its  private  examination  and  the  transaction  of 
business,  no  similar  opportunity  is  possible  to  an  un- 
authorized person. 

During  nearly  fifty  years'  experience  this  Com- 
pany has  never  had  a  loss  of  property  intrusted  to 
its  care. 

In  order  to  secure  the  best  vaults,  the  services  of 
The  Hollar  Company,  Engineers,  Designers  and 
Superintendents  of  Bank- Vault  Con- 
struction, were  retained  for  the 
purpose  of  making  the  plans  and 
specifications;  also  to  superintend  the  construction 
of  the  work  in  the  factory  and  its  erection  in  the 
building. 

Ten  Fire-  and  Burglar-Proof  Vaults  have  been  in- 
stalled. Two  of  the  largest  of  these  vaults  are  for 
general  safe-deposit  purposes  and  are  of  the  round 
door  type.  In  selecting  the  material  to  be  used  in  the 
construction  of  all  the  vaults,  consideration  was  given 

[  11 


IMMENSE 
VAULTS 


to  the  physical  properties  of  that  metal  which  would 
offer  the  greatest  resistance  to  penetration. 

The  vaults  and  doors  are  formed  of  layers  of  five- 
ply  welded  and  hardened  Chrome  Steel  and  Iron  and 
Open  Hearth  Steel  in  alternate  layers,  joined  together 
in  the  strongest  manner  possible  from  the  inside 
with  threaded  bolts  of  welded,  twisted  and  hardened 
steel  and  iron.  The  door  of  the  largest  of  the 
Safe-Deposit  Vaults  weighs  over  16  tons  and  is 
grounded  like  a  valve  to  an  absolutely  air-tight  joint 
in  order  to  preclude  the  introduction  of  liquid  or  other 
explosives. 

The  locking  bolts  of  this  door  radiate  from  the 
center,  after  the  manner  of  the  spokes  in  a  wheel,  and 
are  operated  by  a  specially  designed  motor,  which  is 
in  turn  checked  and  controlled  by  an  electrically 
winding  time  lock.  All  of  this  mechanism  is  con- 
trolled without  connection  or  holes  through  the  doors. 

Should  conditions  arise,  however,  which  would, 
in  the  opinion  of  the  custodian  of  the  vault,  justify 
keeping  the  vault  locked  for  any  additional  number  of 
hours  beyond  the  time  for  which  it  was  originally  set, 
this  can  be  accomplished  without  opening  the  vault 
door,  or  without  any  one  having  access  to  the  locks. 
The  value  of  this  feature  will  be  appreciated  when  the 
contingency  of  fire  or  riot  is  considered,  for  in  either 
case  it  would  be  undesirable  to  permit  the  unlocking 


MAIN  CORRIDOR  LOOKING  EAST 
THE  SAFE  DEPOSIT  COMPANY  OF  NEW  YORK 


2] 


of  the  vault,  and  all  that  would  be  necessary  would  be 
to  close  an  electric  switch,  when  the  time  lock  would 
be  electrically  wound,  thereby  preventing  the  opening 
of  the  door  until  the  expiration  of  the  added  number 
of  hours. 

The  vaults  are  furnished  with  several  thousand 
safe-deposit  boxes  of  various  sizes.  Each  box  is 
provided  with  a  combination  lock  or  with  one  or 
more  changeable  combination  key  locks.  The  latter 
are  so  arranged  that  it  requires  the  presence  of  the 
renter  with  his  key  and  the  custodian  of  the  vault 
with  a  separate  key  to  obtain  entrance  to  the  box. 
By  the  use  of  these  key  locks  a  degree  of  protection 
never  before  secured Jby^the  use  of  any  key  lock  is 


COUPON  ROOMS  LOOKING  NORTH  FROM  EAST  END  OF 
MAIN  CORRIDOR 

THE  SAFE  DEPOSIT  COMPANY  OF  NEW  YORK 


ENTRANCE  TO  SAFE  DEPOSIT  VAULT  No.  1 
THE  SAFE  DEPOSIT  COMPANY  OF  NEW  YORK 

veniently  furnished  Coupon  Rooms,  and  three  large 
Committee  Rooms;  they  are  thoroughly  lighted  and 
ventilated  and  insure  complete  pri- 
vacy.    Each  room  has  its  telephone 
COUPON  ROOMS  connectionj  a  convenient  means  of 

communication  for  the  purchase  and  sale  of  securi- 
ties or  for  such  other  purposes  as  may  be  desirable 
for  the  Company's  patrons. 

Extending  south  from  the  Read- 
ing Room  is  a  corridor  leading  to 
the  Ladies'  Department  containing 
eight  separate  Coupon  Rooms  and 


SPECIAL 
FACILITIES 
FOR  LADIES 


all  essential  conveniences. 


obtained.  The  difference  between  this  changeable 
combination  key  lock  and  that  of  any  other  type  of 
safe-deposit  key  lock  is  as  great  as  the  difference 
between  an  ordinary  key  and  a  combination  safe  lock. 

Eight  individual  Security  Vaults,  each  with  sepa- 
rate anteroom,  have  been  provided  for  individuals  or 
corporations  requiring  more  space  and  exclusiveness 
than  may  be  had  under  other  conditions. 

All  of  the  vaults  have  been  amply  provided  with 
electrical  protection;  also  with  a  separate  watch 
system. 

There  is  also  ample  room  for  the  safe  and  con- 
venient storage  of  valuables  intrusted  to  the  Com- 
pany's care,  such  as  plate,  bullion,  etc. 

Adjoining  the  main  vaults  are  twenty-six  con- 

[  H3  ] 


INTERIOR  OF  SAFE  DEPOSIT  VAULT  No.  1 
THE  SAFE  DEPOSIT  COMPANY  OF  NEW  YORK 


[114] 


7//)/ca/  7bwer  f/oorf/a/? 

Comer  firoac/a/af  <7/?c/  //£erf//  S/r 


[117] 


